The Chicago White Sox did not wait for any of the free agent starting pitching dominoes to fall for their re-tooling this offseason, signing closer David Robertson to a hefty deal and making a trade to acquire a second ace.
The White Sox are serious about contending in 2014, shipping a package that reportedly includes two young players, infielder Marcus Semien and pitcher Chris Bassitt to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Jeff Samardzija.
Samardzija will pair with Chris Sale in Chicago's rotation, and form a two-headed monster of sub-3.00 ERA starters. Samardzija's record was unimpressive-just 7-13-but his 2.99 ERA and 1.07 ERA paint a clearer picture of the type of season he had.
This decision by Oakland is somewhat of a head-scratcher. Semien posted pedestrian numbers in two MLB stints that were fairly consistent with his minor league production. In 255 plate appearances in 2014 Semien hit .234 with six home runs and 28 RBI.
Bassitt's minor league track record is a big glossier, but not much. He had a cup of coffee in 2014 with the White Sox, making six starts and posting 1-1 record with a 3.94 ERA. His FIP suggested his ERA should've been lower, while his xFIP, a more speculative advanced stat reads 4.67.
Just last season the A's dealt away elite shortstop prospect Addisson Russell to the Chicago Cubs to add Samardzija, a move that seemed intended for him to be their ace for the long haul, not just a single playoff push. The A's then acquired Jon Lester from the Boston Red Sox to bolster the staff further.
Lester and the A's struggled the rest of the way though, coughed up a large division lead, and flamed out vs. the Royals in the Wildcard round. Now, both Lester and Samardzija will be playing elsewhere. The A's have also traded away two sluggers, third baseman Josh Donaldson and first baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss.
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