When you look at the last time the Sox got a "haul" for trading a start pitcher the center pieces of that trade did not pan out. Lorenzo Barcelo and Mike Caruso were busts. Foulke had a great career. Howry was good for a few years. The Mariners got Freddy Garcia and Carlos Guillen for Randy Johnson.

Maybe there are recent examples, but I can't recall a time when dealing an player like Sale worked for the team doing it.

Football has the Cowboys trading Walker to the Vikings as the archetype, but I can't recall anything similar to that any other time.

Rebuilding like the Cubs sounds great in theory, but you could end up like the Pirates or some other franchise. Almost 20 years in the abyss with nothing to show except some wild card appearances.

Those are midseason trades. The Dodgers might offer something huge, and IF I were the Sox, I would take it.

I would have to have Seager (ZERO chance of that) or Urias (doubtful) to even start talking.

The Marlins always do well

The Marlins always do well

They have 6 winning seasons in their entire history.

Which Marlins trade?

Levine on with Spiegs and whoever floated Sale and Abreu to the red Sox for SIX players.

Those had better be some awesome players, some of whom are pitchers and some who can play at the MLB level on opening day 2017

If that is the route they are going, I think you get more by selling off the pieces individually

If they trade Sale and Abreu, there is zero reason to keep Frazier. He should be able to bring in something nice.

2017 would be some kind of shitty season under that scenario.

Funning thing is that this would have been frowned upon for the last hundred years. Now tanking is not only honorable but encouraged. #theplan

Sox could have a nasty young bullpen with Burdi, Fullmer, Danish, Jones and Robertson. In 2-3 years that could be Royals-esque.

If Sale and Abreu are gone then (after Frazier) dump: Melky, Robertson, Jones.

Consider dumping Eaton and Quintana.

Funning thing is that this would have been frowned upon for the last hundred years. Now tanking is not only honorable but encouraged. #theplan

I think the Sox can gain little just by getting rid of Eaton, Quintana, Abreu and Sale. They're all infected with losing and just by getting rid of them the Sox at least gain a prayer of getting some winning leadership back in the clubhouse. What happened in Arlington and how it ended the season says all that needs to be said of them, particularly Sale and Eaton.

Now whatever outside the lines gain the Sox get from ridding themselves of those guys is offset 20 times by the fact that inside the lines all of them are really good. Sale is a petulant little shit, but he's a top 5 pitcher in the game and his numbers wont be replaced by Urias, Giolito or whatever other hyped up arm they could get in return. Quintana and Eaton are more replaceable, but are still elite-ish if not elite players. Abreu who knows, Sox will probably wind up keeping him because nobody wants him...he wasn't even that bad in 2016 but he's got a bad perception around the league.

HERE'S THE POINT

If the Sox get the right returns for those 3, plus rid themselves of the outright dogshit like Robertson for salary relief they may actually have a contending squad for 2017. A new manager might help with the culture change too, and after slashing all that payroll they'll be able to get a free agent or two. For Sale, you hope to get one guy who has done something at the major league level plus another who is highly touted and ready to debut and then a slew of other useful pieces, Quintana a step back from that Sale deal and Eaton can probably get more in return than Quintana because of his contract and age.

The returns the Sox could get for Eaton, Sale and Quintana ALONE are good enough to make an all out tanking unnecessary. They could have a talented lineup with a good mix of veterans and young players plus a top 10 farm system with serious depth of both position players and pitchers by Opening Day. No losing 90 games for 3 straight years to accumulate draft picks and selling anyone with a pulse at the deadline...just one winter of selling and they're right back at it.

Getting MLB ready players back is why you don't dump Frazier. He is cheap and fine.

Sox could have a nasty young bullpen with Burdi, Fullmer, Danish, Jones and Robertson. In 2-3 years that could be Royals-esque.

Maybe steal a page from the Royals and plan to blow your load for a two-year window in the last two years of Sale's contract in 2018-2019?

If Sale and Abreu are gone then (after Frazier) dump: Melky, Robertson, Jones.

Consider dumping Eaton and Quintana.

Funning thing is that this would have been frowned upon for the last hundred years. Now tanking is not only honorable but encouraged. #theplan

I said a year ago, that the Sox should trade Sale, Cabrerra, Eaton and Quintana and not sign any free agents and build from the minor leagues, but instead they trade for Frazier and a couple 2nd rate catchers and hope for better years from players that had disappointed the previous couple seasons. They got a huge break when La Roche retired, but then used the money on James Shields who proved to be yet another disappointment. They cannot contend with the crap they have in a division that includes K.C. and Cleveland. Better to retool now and have a really good group of young players, who may be able to contend in a few years......when they move to Las Vegas.

In 2-3 years, Robertson will be dead.

Chicago White Sox trade LHP Chris Sale and RHP David Robertson to the Los Angeles Dodgers for OF Yasiel Puig, RHP Jose De Leon, RHP Yadier Alvarez, and OF Alex Verdugo.

OK, let’s start with a blockbuster. The White Sox have the ability to control the strings of this offseason depending on what they decide to do with Sale, Jose Quintana, Melky Cabrera and Todd Frazier, who could all be moved if Rick Hahn tears things up. Sale is so valuable because he’s so good and will make just $38 million over the next three seasons. Puig is the big name here, but De Leon would enter the ChiSox rotation in 2017, while Alvarez and Verdugo are both top-100 prospects for 2017.

With that in mind, and in the spirit of Black Friday, here are five swaps I'd like to see based on team needs and fits.
1. White Sox trade LHP Chris Sale to the Braves for 2B/SS Ozzie Albies, LHP Sean Newcomb, 3B Austin Riley and RHPs Matt Wisler and Lucas Sims