Right after the announcement of Gerrit Cole last night at around 11:10 p.m. CT, the White Sox made a trade for slugging Right Fielder Nomar Mazara of the Texas Rangers in exchange for Minor League Outfielder Steele Walker.
Mazara, this past season for the Rangers, slashed .268/.318/.469/.786, which was the best stat line of his career so far. Mazara is only 24 years old and still has tons of time to progress even more. He hit 19 home runs, one of which was a 505-foot bomb against his new teammate, Reynaldo Lopez.
Mazara has not lived up to the potential he had back when he broke into the league at age 21, so the White Sox are hopeful that a change of scenery and some adjustments to approach will help Mazara hit his ceiling. Per Rick Hahn:
“That’s where you really can make your hay. That’s where, if you can find something that’s undervalued and you can get it better and you have tangible reasons for believing you can get this guy better, that’s a real opportunity.”
– Rick Hahn via NSC Sports Chicago
Mazara adds a left-handed bat that the White Sox have been looking for this offseason. Mazara is a substantial addition to the White Sox, considering they gave up an unproven 23-year-old outfielder in Walker, who hit .269/.346/.426 in High-A last season. This trade could be massive for the White Sox in 2020 if the change of scenery really does help Mazara. Sometimes, it’s worth taking that risk.
Featured Photo: MLB Trade Rumors/Twitter (@mlbtraderumors)
