White Sox Acquire 3B Conor Gillaspie For RHP Jeff Soptic

The White Sox added some more infield depth today with the addition of Giants 3B Conor Gillaspie for Sox prospect Jeff Soptic.

First, here's what Rick Hahn had to say about the addition.

"(Gillaspie) conceivably fits in nicely on the roster, which we’ll obviously decide more about toward the end of next month," general manager Rick Hahn said. "But we see him having a solid hit tool, above-average awareness of the strike zone, solid defensively. He gives us a little versatility in his ability to play third base as well as first. He gives Robin (Ventura) some options potentially."

The 25-year old has spent the last two years playing in 130+ games for AAA Fresno in the Pacific Coast League.  2012 didn't prove to be as good of a year as 2011 for Gillaspie, but he still batted .281/.345/.441/.786 along with 14 HRs (an improvement from 11 in 2011).

Gillaspie's value to the Sox is the fact that he is a left-handed hitter and also gives more depth at third.  With this trade, Angel Sanchez will be used for the middle infield while Gillaspie will add depth to the corners.  Those two along with DeWayne Wise and Hector Gimenez will likely be the bench players on Opening Day.

With the addition of Gillaspie, Brent Morel will almost certainly start the season in the minors.  Also, because of the addition, newly acquired Lars Anderson has been DFA'd.

Now a little more on the loss of Jeff Soptic.  Soptic was drafted in the third round in 2011 out of community college in Kansas.  He possesses a big time fastball that could reportedly touch 100, but he struggled last year in Kannapolis with a 5.40 ERA.  Still, atleast the Giants got something in return for Gillaspie who was certainly going to be lost on waivers in a couple of weeks.  Soptic's big arm gives the Giants something to work with.

Overall, I like this trade for both teams.  The White Sox got what they needed; a lefty and more infield depth.  It's not flashy, but hopefully it will be effective.

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Scouting Report: Rangel Ravelo

Rangel Ravelo (CPR Photography)

Position:  3B

Height/Weight:  6'2/210

Bats/Throws:  Right/Right

Birthday:  April 24th, 1992

Hometown/School:  Hialeah, FL - Hialeah HS

STATS

Ravelo was taken by the White Sox in the 6th round back in 2010.  After batting .254 in 48 games with Bristol in 2010, Ravelo had a great season in 2011, batting .338/.381/.415 along with a .795 OPS combined with Bristol and Kannapolis.  Ravelo got off to another hot start in 2012, but cooled down later in the season.  Still, he batted .290/.343/.397 with an OPS of .739 in 76 games and was named a South Atlantic League All-Star.  However, in early July he left the team because of personal reasons and never returned.

Rangel Ravelo will be back with the White Sox this year according to FutureSox.  While Ravelo has put up some great numbers and a 1.9 SO/BB ratio, there are some concerns surrounding Ravelo (besides him leaving the team).  First, Ravelo has only hit 3 homers so far in his career (187 games).  Defensively, Ravelo committed 15 errors last year which leaves some to believe he will eventually move from third to first base.  If Ravelo can develop some power (usually the last tool to develop for prospects) and cut down on the errors, he can become a very nice prospect in the White Sox organization because it seems that the bat is there.

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Scouting Report: Luis Castillo

Position:  3B

Height/Weight:  6'2/205

Bats/Throws:  Right/Right

Birthday:  1996

Hometown:  San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic

Luis Castillo was signed by the White Sox for $450,000 back in mid-July.  At 6'2/205+, the 16-year old Dominican has been described as a man child by many.  Because he is so young, he hasn't had a chance to take an at bat in the White Sox organization.  Here is the only video I can find on this young talent.

Here is a scouting report from the Dominican Prospect League:

At first site Castillo is impressive physically, he’s a man child, and when he starts swing the bat he makes your attention draw closer. He extends his arms and squares up pitches with authority. He has quick hand through the hitting zone and his bat path is consistently on an even plane. He doesn't produce much elevation with his swing but he hits the ball harder than any player on the field. Castillo is a dead pull hitter learning how to use the entire field. Defensively he has good lateral movement, average hands and makes routine plays. His arm strength is average and he runs well for a big guy. His raw athletic talent makes him a prospect to take note of, he has the tools that transfer into production on the diamond.

Baseball Prospect Nation ranked him 15th in their 2013 White Sox prospect rankings:

A $450,000 splurge on the international market in July, the 16-year old Castillo could become a serious prospect in this system. He has a mature frame with good natural strength and the potential to add more. He easily drives the ball to all fields and shows hints of plus power down the line. A raw third baseman, Castillo has arm strength and will occasionally show decent actions at the position. His developmental path will be a long one but he could ultimately become a classic, physical third baseman with power.

Top 5 White Sox Corner Infield Prospects

I stated earlier this year, that the catcher position might be the weakest position in the organization.  However, I think the corner infield positions may be worse.  Only the top prospect on this list, Keon Barnum, is in the top 25 overall.  I usually do a top 5 list, but I could only find four real prospects even worth noting.  Also, Carlos Sanchez isn't on this list because I have him as a second baseman.  Anyway, here is the list:

1. Keon Barnum (1B) - As a 6'5/225 19-year old, Barnum has been appropriately described by ESPN as a "man-child".  Barnum was taken 48th overall in 2012 by the White Sox out of King HS in Tampa, FL.  As a left-handed batter, Barnum's immense raw power and strength is his greatest asset according to scouts.

In 49 PAs with Bristol last year, he had hit .279/.347/.512 with an OPS of .859, 3 HR, and 8 RBI. Barnum's biggest problem is his lack of contact, which is typical with power hitters.  Last year, he struck out 13 times compared to walking 5 times.  Barnum is still very young and I'm sure the White Sox will make that a point of emphasis in his development.

Barnum's 2012 was cut short due to a shoulder injury.  However, his raw power makes him one of the top prospects in the White Sox system.

2. Juan Silverio (3B) - There is quite the gap between Barnum and the rest of the list.  I spent a lot of time debating who belongs in this spot between Silverio and Wilkins.  While Silverio has been in the Sox system since 2008 (compared to 3 years for Wilkins), Silverio is 3 years younger than Wilkins and I believe, has a bigger upside than Wilkins.

Silverio has been inconsistent since being signed by the White Sox.  Silverio had a great year in 2009 (.913 SLG as an 18 year old), but has been up and down since.  In 2011, he had a line of .285/.335/.543, but regressed in 2012 with a .243/.285/.433 line.  Although his power did increase in 2012 with over a .020 increase in ISO.  However, like many Sox prospects, Silverio strikes out a ton (23.5 K%).

Silverio is teetering on the edge of being an actual prospect as he has been in the system for a while.  However, people forget he is only 21 and maybe something clicks for him in the future.

3. Andy Wilkins - (1B) - Wilkins had a line of .239/.335/.425 last year with Birmingham along with 17 HRs and a .760 OPS.  Wilkins became a more known prospect after being selected to play in the Arizona Fall League in 2012.  He got off to a real hot start for Salt River, but struggled down the stretch and ended with a nice .270/.327/.416 line.  What sticks out with his AFL stats is his .323 BABIP, a .057 increase from his season with the Barons.

4. Luis Castillo - (3B) - Never heard of Castillo?  Well that is because he hasn't played in the White Sox system yet.  Castillo, a 16-year old from the Dominican Republic, was signed by the White Sox for $450 million back in the summer.  Castillo has been described as a "man child" at 6'3/200+ (remember, he is 16).  Castillo hopefully (and probably) will end up being a better prospect than Silverio and Wilkins, but he has to at least have an AB as a part of the White Sox before I rank them ahead of those two.  Baseball Prospect Nation ranked Castillo as a top 15 prospect in their list for 2013.  Here is a video of Castillo.

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Juan Silverio Scouting Report

Position:  3B

Height/Weight:  6'1/175

Bats/Throws:  Right/Right

Birthday:  April 18th, 1991

Hometown/School:  Santiago, Dominican Republic

STATS

Silverio was signed by the White Sox in 2007 as a free agent.  Once ranked as a top 10 player in the organization, Silverio hasn't lived up to the hype and has been somewhat forgotten.  Despite being in the minors since 2008, Silverio is still young at the age of 21.

Silverio has been up and down, promoted and demoted throughout the years.  He had a good year in 2009 and the beginning of 2010, but struggled later in 2010 after he was promoted to Kanny as he batted .200/.237/.336.  He then had a bounce-back year in 2011, batting .285/.335./.453 combined with Kannapolis and Winston-Salem.  After it looked like he turned his career around, he batted .243/.285/.443 in 2012.

As mentioned above, he is still young, but he is teetering on the edge of being an actual prospect and 2013 may be a make or break year.

Silverio was once a shortstop, but after gaining some weight, he was moved to third.  He has alright power, hitting 8 bombs last year in 78 games last year.  He has had strikeout problems with a K% above 20% every year of his career and a relatively low walk-rate.  Defensively, Baseball America in their 2013 White Sox prospect list, gave him the award of the best infield arm.

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