Gordon Beckham Traded To Angels


Gordon Beckham will get a change of scenery, and another chance to ignite his bat.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Beckham, the Chicago White Sox utility infielder has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the ever-popular player to be named later or cash considerations. The White Sox have a pool of players under consideration and will decide during the off-season which way to go to replace Beckham, said White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn.

The trade allows the White Sox to assess the great amount of talent they have in their farm system, and give Beckham, who is making $4.175 million this year, an opportunity to correct his offensive issues in a new setting.

The White Sox have three young infielders at the ready and another on injured reserve. Carlos Sanchez will join the White Sox in New York for a weekend series with the Yankees. Leury Garcia will also see time at second base. Marcus Semien will be called up in September when teams are allowed to expand their rosters. Micah Johnson, who was shut down for the season after injuring his left hamstring, will be ready to try his hand at second base at spring training next year.

“Although Gordon was just fantastic as an individual and a great representative of the White Sox organization — and someone whose work ethic and desire to be the best will certainly be missed — it was time to make a change and give someone else an opportunity to become part of this next core,” Hahn said.

The Sox drafted Beckham eighth overall in 2008, and after a promising rookie season in 2009, he often struggled to live up to expectations. He hit.244 with 61 home runs and 276 RBIs in 739 games with the Sox.

Hahn speculated that Beckham’s problems stemmed in part from trying to learn in the big leagues rather than the minors. Beckham played just 79 minor league games.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting now that the Angels have traded for Beckham, they could package some of their young infielders to trade for a starting pitcher. Beckham is entering his final season of arbitration in 2015, and his presence could give the Angels the flexibility of packaging a right-handed hitter such as C.J. Cron, Grant Green or even second baseman Howie Kendrick in a trade for a starting pitcher, said Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto.

The Angels need for a starting pitcher grew significantly when starter Garrett Richards injured his knee during a victory over the Boston Red Sox this week. Dipoto knows, however, that at this time of the season, finding a quality replacement for Richards will be almost impossible.

Beckham has appeared in 101 games for the White Sox this season, batting.221 (86 for 390) with 24 doubles, seven home runs and 36 runs batted in, but he is hitting.309 (30 for 107) against left-handers.

Beckham’s best seasons in Chicago came as a rookie in 2009, when he hit.270 with 14 homers, 28 doubles and 63 RBIs, and 2012, when he hit.234 with 16 homers, 24 doubles and 60 RBIs.

Beckham also owns two of the top three best single-season fielding percentages by a second baseman in White Sox history,.9899 in 2012 and.9889 in 2011 and was Chicago’s recipient of the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013.

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