The Chicago White Sox have been among a number of MLB teams that have had a busy offseason signing free agents and making trades. They're still looking to trade one of their young and talented outfielders but can't seem to find a buyer.
When the White Sox signed outfielder Melky Cabrera to a three-year, $42 million contract, it was obvious they would need to trade one other at the position. That player seems to be 25-year-old Dayan Viciedo. Despite his youth, talent and potential, the slugger's inconsistency is why he was made available in a trade. However, general manager Rick Hahn still isn't sure what he's going to do with Viciedo.
"We need to figure out exactly what we're going to wind up doing in left field," Hahn said in an interview with Laurence Holmes on 670 The Score, via this CBS Chicago article back in December. "Is Viciedo going to be back out there, or we will make a little different move and get a different type of player out there and use Dayan a different way? That's still to be determined."
Around that time, the Mariners and White Sox were in serious talks about a trade for Viciedo, but nothing ever came to fruition and the Mariners traded for Seth Smith of the San Diego Padres.
Viciedo slashed just .231/.281/.405 with 21 home runs and 58 RBIs in 145 games this past season. In his first full MLB season back in 2012, the Cuban defector batted .255/.300/.444 with 25 home runs and 78 RBIs. Perhaps the Mariners and others are concerned with the decline in his offense and his less than stellar defensive abilities, but the potential is there despite the shortcomings.
"With so many outfielders still available in trade and free agency, the White Sox have garnered interest in Viciedo but have had a difficult time moving him," writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "The right-handed hitter, who twice has hit more than 20 homers, hasn't emerged like some of the other Cuban hitters, though he will be only 26 when he plays in 2015. He doesn't particularly crush left-handed pitchers, which would have made him a platoon candidate. Scouts are torn as to whether he emerges as a viable right-handed power hitter, but he may be worth the gamble."
Another aspect that isn't too attractive regarding Viciedo is that he's in his first year of arbitration-eligibility and should receive a decent raise up from his $2.8 million salary in 2014. Nonetheless, he likely provides the best power option out of the pool of players available in free agency or via trade. Some teams that should be looking at him include the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants.
The Orioles have been showing a lot of interest in free agent Colby Rasmus, who they believe will sign a one-year deal between $5 million and $8 million. They want a left-handed hitting corner outfielder, but would working to acquire Viciedo really hurt? He would be a good fit in Baltimore's high-powered offense and give Buck Showalter a young hitter with ample time to prosper.
As for Texas, they declined Alex Rios' option early on in the offseason and are also in need of a corner outfielder, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News noted prior to the Winter Meetings. Right now the team has Jake Smolinski listed as the starting left fielder, but that could change. The 25-year-old batted .349 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 24 games with the Rangers this season, but general manager Jon Daniels wants to compete in 2015 since the AL West is one of the best divisions in the league. Smolinski's potential is a mystery at this point, and putting Viciedo in a hitter's ballpark in a lineup with Prince Fielder, Adrian Beltre, Shin-Soo Choo and others could help a lot.
Lastly, the San Francisco Giants should be ringing Hahn's phone off the hook. The team is in desperate need of a power-hitter and a corner outfielder after losing Michael Morse in free agency. They filled their vacancy at third base in a trade with the Miami Marlins and seem to be comfortable with their starting rotation - which was seemingly a concern - heading into 2015. So why not go after Viciedo? The Giants have only had seven hitters who compiled 20 home run seasons since 2010, and two of them were Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe. Pablo Sandoval was another, but he's now with the Boston Red Sox. Buster Posey and Hunter Pence can't carry all of the offensive production.
Keep an eye out for Viciedo to possibly land with one of these three teams.
