The Chicago White Sox acquired Oakland Athletics infielder Brett Lawrie in a trade Wednesday in exchange for minor league pitching prospects Zack Erwin and J.B. Wendelken.
The White Sox announced the news through their official Twitter account.
Lawrie primarily played third base for Oakland this past season but has experience at second base; the 25-year-old batted .260 with 16 home runs and 60 RBI and still has upside. He spent his first four years as a pro with the Toronto Blue Jays.
It appeared as though Lawrie was fired up for his change of scenery:
Syracuse.com's Jameson Fleming believes Lawrie will eventually live up to his talent and is therefore worth the investment:
To briefly examine the Athletics' end of the trade, Erwin is a 21-year-old southpaw who showed promise in the minors this year with a 2-2 record and 1.34 ERA in 15 appearances with seven starts. Drafted in the fourth round in 2015, Erwin didn't play higher than Single-A in his first year of professional baseball.
As for Wendelken, the 22-year-old righty played the two highest levels of minor league ball and fared rather well himself, registering five saves and a 3.20 ERA as a reliever after struggling in a starter's role in 2014.
A's outfielder Josh Reddick reacted to the trade and added an interesting anecdote about Wendelken's arrival:
Chicago lost a similarly versatile infielder to Lawrie in Gordon Beckham, who signed with the Atlanta Braves in free agency. But Lawrie is definitely an upgrade, albeit one who did come at a cost in the form of two pitching prospects.
At least Lawrie is a proven everyday starter who packs some power at the plate and is a solid defender. Those are characteristics the White Sox have to be encouraged about he enters his prime.
After going 76-86 this past season with a lineup that had MLB ranks of 28th in runs scored and 29th in slugging percentage, Lawrie frankly injects some life into a clubhouse in need of it. He has tantalizing potential and is a fiery personality who could provide a welcome spark for baseball on the South Side of the Windy City.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura also manned the hot corner during his playing days, so he could well be a fine mentor for Lawrie as he tries to fully capitalize on his considerable skills.
Note: Minor league stats courtesy of MiLB.com.
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