As we enter the last weekend before the trade deadline, there has been a lot of talk concerning the Chicago White Sox and exactly what their starting rotation will look like after the Monday deadline.
While the focus has been on Chris Sale and Jose Quintana, James Shields has improved enough the last six games that his name is also getting some attention.
After a horrible start with the White Sox throughout the month of June, Shields has looked like the pitcher the White Sox traded for during his last six starts. He has gone 3-3 and has an ERA of 1.78, giving up only seven runs off of 24 hits.
James Shields is available via trade, sources say, and #WhiteSox could capitalize on spike in value: 1.71 ERA over last six starts. @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 27, 2016
His number of pitches/strike ratio is up to 60 percent for the month of July, climbing seven percent from his total for his five starts in the month of June. He has been on the mound for 35.1 innings this month, which is also a huge improvement compared to the 20.1 innings he pitched last month. The velocity of his pitch has also been on the rise, averaging right above 90 mph his last six outings.
Shields wouldn’t bring the value the South Siders would receive for either Sale or Quintana, but he would make a good starter in anyone’s rotation. The White Sox have plenty of room up and down their roster for improvement and Shields could be traded to address any of the issues.
There haven’t been any specific talks as of yet, but with his recent improvements, now could be a great time for Chicago to make a move. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Shields makes his next start for either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Texas Rangers, both of which have plenty of farm league talent that could be part of a rebuild on the South Side
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