It’s time for White Sox to begin trading Jose Quintana and company

SHARE It’s time for White Sox to begin trading Jose Quintana and company
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Chicago White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana, right, tosses the ball in the air as Quintana and catcher Kevan Smith, left, wait for manager Rick Renteria to change pitchers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Wednesday, May 24, 2017, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) ORG XMIT: PNC114

Being in last last and 10 games under .500 is proof enough the White Sox are ready for the full rebuild that they have been seemingly reluctant to fully embrace.

This team is going nowhere in 2017. We are closing in on the July 31 trade deadline, and there’s no reason to still have Jose Quintana, David Robertson and Todd Frazier still on the Sox’ roster by Aug. 1.

Seems like general manager Rick Hahn needs a little nudge, so here goes …

Jose Quintana: The left-hander somehow survived the offseason without being dealt. He seemed to be the next chip to fall after the Chris Sale trade to the Red Sox.

It looked as if the Sox were hoping to drive up Quintana’s price by midseason, figuring he would deliver on his talent in the first three months of the season.

It hasn’t been that easy. Quintana is 4-8 with a 4.45 ERA. He has rebounded in recent weeks, with the Sox winning each of his last four starts, with Quintana going 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA over that span.

His rebound has reportedly attracted the attention of the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite his rough start this season, Quintana, 28, is drawing plenty of attention from several contenders as the deadline nears. A club-friendly contract that includes team options for 2019 and 2020 only enhance his value.

David Robertson: Ask any contending general manager — during any July in the last 50 years — what would be a nice addition at midseason, and closer would be at the top of the list.

Robertson, 32, also has an attractive contract that runs through next season as part of his original four-year, $46 million contract. Despite a 3.00 ERA, he has 12 saves in 13 chances for an awful team. He might not bring the prospects that Quintana can attract, but his age makes it clear Robertson won’t be a factor whenever the Sox are ready to be serious contenders.

What makes Robertson attractive is he has postseason experience and has seven outings this season that stretched beyond one inning. Any contender could find room for the right-hander at the tail end of the bullpen.

Todd Frazier: He’s 31 and his contract expires at the end of this season. The Sox could hold on to him and wait for a draft pick once he leaves next offseason as a free agent. But why wait? Every contender could use a powerful bat down the stretch, and Frazier provides that. The Boston Red Sox, who are searching for help at third, could be a nice match. The Red Sox have plenty of prospects that make a Frazier midseason deal attractive.

Frazier delivered 40 home runs and 98 RBI last season for a disappointing White Sox team that went nowhere. If you remember, there was some excitement when he was acquired in a three-way deal with the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2015..

The Reds sent Frazier to the White Sox, the White Sox sent three prospects (outfielder Trayce Thompson, right-hander Frankie Montas and infielder Micah Johnson) to the Dodgers. The Dodgers sent infielder Jose Peraza, outfielder Scott Schebler and infielder Brandon Dixon to the Reds.

The Cincinnati Enquirer took an interesting look today at who fared best in that three-way deal. Getting some value for Frazier now could help the White Sox look good in a deal that now looks like a dud.

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