Chicago White Sox acquire Lawrie in trade from A's

The Chicago White Sox acquired Brett Lawrie from the Oakland Athletics in a trade for two minor-league pitchers Wednesday, potentially filling multiple needs in the process.

First, Lawrie can play third base, which has been a black hole on the South Side since Joe Crede and his troubled back exited after the 2008 season.

Second, Lawrie can hit for power, and the Sox finished last in the American League with 136 home runs last season. Leadoff man Adam Eaton, who hit 1 homer in 2014, finished second behind Jose Abreu with 14.

Lawrie had 16 home runs, along with 60 RBI, in 149 games with the A's last season. In 494 career games with Toronto and Oakland, the 25-year-old infielder has a .263/.316/.420 hitting line to go with 59 home runs and 217 RBI.

Also capable of playing second base, Lawrie was Milwaukee's first-round draft pick (No. 16 overall) in 2008 out of Brookswood Secondary School in Langley, British Columbia, where he was a catcher.

General manager Rick Hahn is still shopping for another bat, and if he acquires Cincinnati Reds slugger Todd Frazier or Nobuhiro Matsuda from Japan to play third base, Lawrie goes to second.

Third, Lawrie brings some edge to a White Sox team that has been lacking in that department. Against Kansas City early last season, Lawrie took out shortstop Alcides Escobar with a hard slide into second base. The next day, Royals starter Yordano Ventura was ejected after drilling Lawrie with a pitch and almost igniting a brawl.

Lawrie is still two years away from free agency. He is expected to make around $4 million in 2016.

The Sox sent minor-league pitchers Zachary Erwin and J.B. Wendelken to Oakland for Lawrie.

Erwin, a fourth-round draft pick last July, was 2-2 with a 1.34 ERA in 15 games (7 starts) with Advanced Rookie Great Falls and low Class A Kannapolis.

Wendelken was a combined 6-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 5 saves in 39 relief appearances with Class AA Birmingham and AAA Charlotte.