Can White Sox, Tigers stomach trading Chris Sale, Miguel Cabrera and Co.?
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. -- The World Series champion Cubs may be feted for life in Chicago, but considering the adoration and attention that Al Avila of the Detroit Tigers and Rick Hahn of the Chicago White Sox are receiving at baseball’s general manager meetings, they may not have to buy dinner or drinks all winter.
For the first time in nearly two decades, the Tigers and White Sox are letting teams know that anyone and everyone on their roster are for sale, trying to emulate the Cubs’ rebuilding success, and surviving long enough to bask in the glory.
You want future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera, former MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, or All-Stars Ian Kinsler, Justin Upton, J.D. Martinez, and Victor Martinez of the Tigers? Pick up the phone, and an operator will be on hold, waiting to place your call to Avila.
“This is a change in philosophy how we do business,’’ said Avila, whose payroll has ballooned to $216 million. “We’ve been working well over our means for so many years. We keep adding, keep paying the luxury tax and keep putting the organization in peril because we don’t have young guys coming through the system as much as you need.
“At some point, you are going to hit a brick wall. We are at that brick wall right now.
“This is a process that could take three winters, not just one. But the first step is always the hardest.’’
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You want 2016 All-Star starting pitcher Chris Sale, fellow lefty All-Star Jose Quintana, closer David Robertson, power-hitting third baseman Todd Frazier, or outfielders Melky Cabrera or Adam Eaton? Hahn is there to make your dreams come true.
“We have a pretty firm idea what we want to do,’’ Hahn says. “We have taken an approach the last several years that were focused on the short-term benefit. I think we’ve gotten to the point a better position for the long-term is a more prudent path.
“Our goal is to win on a sustainable basis.’’
It hasn’t even been a week since the Cubs won their first World Series since 1908, and now everyone wants to expedite the teardown, welcome the growing pains and laugh about it all of the way to baseball’s mountaintop.
Well, be careful what you wish for, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer says, because there’s no guarantee it will provide anything but heartache.
“It’s not an easy strategic decision,’’ Hoyer says, “because you’re going to put your fans through a difficult time, and you’re going to endure a lot of losses. It’s painful. There has to have the stomach for that. You have to go through a lot.
“There were a lot of long nights after games thinking about how we’re going to turn this around. Any time you’re trading away good veterans, you’re setting yourself up for some really long summers.
“For us, there were some factors that allowed us to come together quickly, but there’s no assurances. The idea you can rip the Band-Aid off after a couple of years and end up on the positive side, I don’t think that’s realistic.
“It may not be two down years. It may be four. And not every rebuilding situation is going to work.’’
These are painful and gut-wrenching decisions for Mike Ilitch of the Tigers and Jerry Reinsdorf of the White Sox, two of the most competitive owners in sports. Ilitch’s hockey team, the Detroit Red Wings, have won four Stanley Cup championships during his ownership, but he badly craves that first World Series title. Reinsdorf’s basketball team, the Chicago Bulls, have won six NBA titles, but he’d love a World Series ring for his other hand, joining the 2005 championship.
The White Sox haven’t had a winning season since 2012, and haven’t reached the playoffs with Sale, so now they can’t help but wonder if trading Sale, with an asking price of five key players, could re-boot their title efforts.
“Chris is a very desirable target in the game, and it’s always been our obligation to listen to the value in Chris,’’ Hahn says. “He’s not alone on our roster but he’s certainly one that attracts the most headlines and speculation, and with good cause. He’s in his prime. And he’s controllable for the next three years.
“Our goal is was always to have him on the front end of a White Sox championship club, but we need to understand what the market value is for him, and other players, and do what’s in the best of our team in 2017 and beyond.’’
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If Sale indeed is traded, the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers and Houston Astros figure to be in the forefront, with the farm systems deep and powerful enough to pull off the deal. If the Tigers unload Verlander or Cabrera, only the richest of franchises will be able to take on their contracts.
Yet, you ask around at the annual general manager meetings, seeking predictions where these stars may land, and executives are skeptical whether the White Sox and Tigers will have the courage to actually pull the trigger. Considering Sale is under control for just $39.5 million through 2019, he may have the most value of any player in the game.
There is no more popular Tigers player than Cabrera, a future Hall of Famer, unless it’s Verlander, who this year will finish in the top three in the Cy Young balloting for the fourth time. Yet, it’s a whole different price tag than Sale. Verlander is owed $84 million over the next three years, and Cabrera is owed $220 million over seven years.
And get ready for a clubhouse mutiny among the veterans who remain standing, volunteering to be the next one out the door when there’s no chance of winning.
“I think that’s the most difficult thing,’’ Hoyer says, “the messaging in your clubhouse. The messaging to your fan base is really difficult. Fans grow to like players on your team, and when you trade away the guy whose jersey you just got for Christmas, or you trade away a guy who’s a friend or mentor in the clubhouse, that’s hard messaging. You have to try to be transparent about it, but it sure is difficult.’’
Soon, we’ll find out just who has the stomach for it.
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