(Above: Brent Lillibridge, being taken seriously)
Well-known to pine for his native Puerto Rico, RHP Javier Vazquez will be sent much closer to home in a six-player deal with the Atlanta Braves, reports Whitesox.com. Earlier mumbling in these pages about the deal bringing too little speed appears baseless upon closer examination of the AAA Richmond numbers of SS Brent Lillibridge. Please direct all complaints about journalistic integrity to [email protected].
The White Sox completed a six-player trade with the Braves today, sending pitchers Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan to Atlanta for catcher Tyler Flowers, infielders Jonathan Gilmore and Brent Lillibridge, and left-handed pitcher Santos Rodriguez.
Flowers, 22, was named to the Class A Carolina League All-Star Team in 2008 after hitting .288 with 17 home runs and 88 RBI. More recently, he batted .387 with 12 home runs and 23 RBI in just 20 games in the Arizona Fall League.
Gilmore, a 20-year-old third baseman, combined to hit .294 with four home runs and 35 RBI in 94 games with Advanced Rookie Danville and Class A Rome in 2008. He originally was selected as a sandwich pick (33rd overall) in the June 2007 First-Year Player Draft.
Lillibridge, a 25-year-old shortstop, spent most of the 2008 season with Class AAA Richmond, hitting .220 with seven triples, four home runs, 39 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 90 games. He also appeared in 29 games with Atlanta, batting .200 in 80 at-bats. Lillibridge was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 6 Prospect in the Braves organization following the 2007 season.
Rodriguez, 20, went 1-2 with a 2.79 ERA, five saves and 45 strikeouts in 29 innings with the Gulf Coast League Braves in 2008. He was named to Baseball America™s Rookie League All-Star Team and led the GCL with 13.9 strikeouts per 9.0 IP.
Youth and speed, a badly needed upgrade for the farm system, a $22M payroll dump and no more expectations of a double-digit ERA in September from Mr. Relaxation. Not bad, not bad.