Garland to the Angels

A year ago at this time, the Sox needed a center fielder, a left fielder and a shortstop. So Kenny Williams went out and traded his fifth starter, Brandon McCarthy, for a bunch a prospects and ignored the gaping holes in his lineup. OK, he did sign Darin Erstad, but I'm trying to erase the Erstad era from my memory.

After predictably bad years from Podsednik, Uribe and Erstad, Williams again needs to fix holes in left, center and short this off-season. He took the first step by trading Jon Garland to the Angels for Orlando Cabrera.

Both are entering the last year of their contracts and the talent changing sides is basically a wash. Both are marginally better than league average players at their respective positions.

But I believe this trade makes the Sox better next year. The upgrade from Uribe to Cabrera will likely be greater than drop-off between Garland and the pitcher who replaces him (at this point it looks like Gavin Floyd). If the Sox do sign a top free-agent in center, they should be competitive in 2008.

You can read a long, but not very enlightening, thread on this trade over at BTF.

Rangers get McCarthy from ChiSox in five-player deal

ESPN.com - MLB - Rangers get McCarthy from ChiSox in five-player deal

Is this the move of a man who thinks the White Sox will win the division in 2007? It certainly didn't make the current squad any better.

I was excited to see McCarthy in the rotation this year. He's pitched some great games as a starter and it would have been interesting to see what he could do with a full year in the rotation.

McCarthy was good, young and cheap. And you trade him for three prospects? I understand Danks has a very high ceiling but the move doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Maybe Kenny has another move in the works that will make everything clear. But right now I would have to give this move a thumbs down.