advertisement

MLB scout breaks down 4 key players

Earlier in the week, I had a chance to sit down with general manager Rick Hahn at Camelback Ranch and talk about the upcoming season.

Cognizant of last year's disastrous showing, Hahn wasn't predicting any deep postseason runs or World Series championship for the White Sox.

On the other hand, Hahn was quite pleased with the team's spring progression, and he really liked the way newcomers Jose Abreu, Adam Eaton and Matt Davidson were fitting in, along with Avisail Garcia, who came over in a three-way trade from the Tigers last July.

I also had a chance to sit down with a major-league scout who has watched the White Sox multiple times in the Cactus League. The scout analyzed all four of the new players expected to eventually get the Sox back to playing competitive baseball.

Abreu

"He is some kind of strong, and you can already see he's got great power. You make a mistake with him over the plate and he's going to be dangerous. I think it's tough to make any kind of projections in spring training, but I've been impressed with what I've seen, especially with the bat.

"And from what I've seen, he's pretty good around the bag. You hear so much about good he is with the bat, and that sometimes means he's behind on the defensive side. But he's been moving around pretty well out there and he it looks like he can play first base."

Eaton

"I like him very much. Great speed, he's a plus thrower and I think he's got a chance to be a really good top-of-the-lineup bat. I think he'll also steal bases. I like the way he plays. He's a very aggressive kid. He's exciting.

"I saw him play a lot when he was in the minor leagues with Arizona and I always thought he would eventually be up there as the starter in center field. I think there was an injury issue there (with Eaton's left elbow), so maybe that's why they wound up moving him and going with (A.J.) Pollock."

Davidson

"Matt has good power. I think his play at third base is still a work in progress. He's got to cut down on the strikeouts, and from what I've seen in the (exhibition) games, he's been staying in there and making good progress, pretty good contact. I know they've got him and (Conor) Gillaspie fighting for that job. What is he, 22, 23 (Davidson will be 23 on Wednesday)? That might be a factor, but I've really liked Davidson in the past with Arizona and it's just a matter of time with him."

Garcia

"I love Garcia. I think he's got great skills. I think as he progresses, he's going to hit for power. He's got a chance to be one of those players that can do it all. He can do so many things and do them well. He can run, he has power and he's already showing he can shorten up and hit for average.

"Getting him late last season, that's a real plus for the White Sox. He's the kind of player, you can build a team around an all-around player like that."

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.