Grading The White Sox Jake Burger Trade
As the clock ticked closer to the trade deadline all eyes were on Dylan Cease. Cease was one of the hottest pitching commodities on the market and rumors were swirling that a deal with the Orioles was close to happening. Then in a shocking turn of events, it was announced that Jake Burger had been traded to the Miami Marlins for pitching prospect Jake Eder.
The White Sox did enter the trade deadline with the intention of trading Burger. But general manager Rick Hahn felt blown away by the return.
“By no means did we enter this deadline period thinking, ‘All right, we’ve got to find a home for Jake Burger.’ We needed to be compelled to do that, and Eder, we think, has a chance to be very special and help many White Sox teams for a long time going forward,” Hahn told reporters during a Zoom. “We love Jake; you try to remove that side of it, the more subjective side, and ultimately do what, from a baseball standpoint, is the best thing for the organization going forward. That’s what we feel we did.”
Trading away a fan favorite is never easy so how did Hahn do? Let’s take a deeper dive into the trade.
White Sox get: LHP Jake Eder
Jake Eder is a 24-year-old left-hander who is currently in Double-A. He enters the White Sox organization as the No. 4 ranked prospect in their farm system.
At one point many scouts considered Eder the best pitching prospect in the Marlins organization. He dominated at Vanderbilt and helped the Commodores win the 2019 College World Series by notching a three-inning save in the final game.
It took Eder two seasons to crack the starting rotation after posting a 5.45 ERA his freshman year. However, he finished his college career strong producing a 3.60 ERA in four starts before the season was canceled due to the pandemic.
Miami selected Eder in the fourth round and he rewarded their faith by dealing in his 2021 professional debut season. In 15 starts he held opponents to a .169 batting average, struck out 99 batters in just 71.1 innings, and posted a microscopic 1.77 ERA. Unfortunately, his season was cut short when he blew out his elbow that August.
He had to undergo Tommy John surgery and to add insult to injury he fractured his left foot which kept him off the mound until June of 2023. This season he’s made nine starts and understandably his production has taken a dip. He has a 4.12 ERA in 39.1 innings and opponents are now hitting .221 off of him.
Scouts grade the 6’4 southpaw as a 50 overall on a 20-80 scale. His fastball is his best pitch sitting between 93-96 mph with above-average command. If Eder reaches back he has hit 98 before. Scouts add that his fastball has “ride up in the zone.”
His slider is graded as a 60 and sits in the low 80s. He also has a changeup which isn’t as potent as his slider but he can throw all three pitches for strikes. Given the state of the White Sox rotation, he could be in the big leagues as soon as next season.
Marlins get: INF Jake Burger
Giving up Jake Burger stings. From a PR perspective, he has an incredible story that makes him nearly impossible to root against. He also was one of the few players on the roster who looked like he wants to be in Chicago for the foreseeable future. Burger embraced the city and the South Side returned the favor.
The biggest issue with the Jake Burger trade is the mixed signals it sends. There have been multiple reports that the White Sox intend on contending in 2024. For a team that struggles with power and frequently gets out homered at Guaranteed Rate Field, it is hard to justify giving up Burger.
The 27-year-old had 25 home runs, 17 of which came at home. Burger doesn’t make much contact, as evidenced by his .214 batting average. But when he does make contact he hits the ball hard. His 118.2 max exit velocity ranked in the top one percent in baseball. He also placed in the top 99th percentile in barrel percentage, 93rd in expected slugging percentage, and 91st in hard-hit percentage.
While his low batting average and strikeout rate were concerning he still managed a .806 OPS and was showing improved patience at the plate. Before the All-Star break, he drew just 15 walks in 263 plate appearances. In his 60 at-bats after the break he had already drawn seven. Burger was still growing as a hitter and under team control through 2026 with a very affordable contract. If the White Sox goal was to retool, then Burger seemed like a guy that you’d want to have as your designated hitter.
The problem of course was his defense. As long as Yoan Moncada was on the roster, he was never going to take his spot at third base. The White Sox are stuck with Moncada until 2026 and no teams are interested in taking on his contract. Despite his offensive inconsistency, Moncada is also a gold-glove caliber third baseman which is valuable for a team that struggles defensively.
Sticking Burger at second base was not a reasonable solution long term and blocked the front office from giving Lenyn Sosa an extended look. Sosa has been tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A. In a lost season the club might as well see what they have in Sosa.
The Grade
Trading Burger for a pitcher fresh off of Tommy John surgery is a huge gamble. Eder has the potential to become a solid number-three starter in the rotation down the road if he continues to develop and stays healthy. The White Sox needed to replenish their pitching staff after dealing six pitchers before the trade deadline.
However, if the White Sox expect to contend next season then trusting a 24-year-old who has yet to pitch above Double-A is a roll of the dice. Burger was a proven commodity that was controllable and is continuing to improve as a hitter.
The Grade: C-