By: Nick Kapetan (@KapN93)
Gordon Beckham's time on the Chicago White Sox was so heavily chronicled the past seven years, it comes as kind of a shock how quickly it is over. On Thursday the team traded the once highly touted prospect to the Los Angeles Angels for a player to be named later or cash.
How fitting is it that the White Sox don't know exactly what they will be receiving in a trade for the second baseman because quite frankly they never really knew what they had with the former first round pick.
When the White Sox drafted the former Georgia product, speculation revolved around where the organization would place the highly athletic defender, in the field. It did not really matter in the eyes of the franchise because no matter where they placed him on the diamond, he would blossom into a Gold Glove caliber defender.
After an experiment at third base failed, the White Sox moved Beckham over to second for the long haul. That first season Beckham's bat surprisingly did all the talking. He batted .270 with 14 homers and 63 runs batted in. People raved about the youngster's approach at the plate and labeled his 2009 performance as something to build on.
Unfortunately for the Sox and their fans, 2011 was a year that saw Beckham bat a horrid .230 and look completely lost at the plate. He could not hit at the top of the lineup as planned, so then skipper Ozzie Guillen slated him in the eight and nine hole where Beckham would call home for most of his time in Chicago.
Once again entering 2012, the narrative around Beckham was that this would be the year he finally got over the hump. At that point in time he became an elite second baseman that found himself on highlight reels several times. Still, he batted .234 while his power numbers rose (16 homers).
Beckham was not a polished product though. He would have mental lapses at the plate. He would tinker with his swing ever so slightly, but to do avail. The team saw enough positives in 2012 and assured the fans that 2013 would finally be Beckham's year.
The talk of Beckham being a bust clearly got to him as he had terrible mind lapses out in the field. He would drop easy pop ups and would be unable to turn double plays he once could do in his sleep. Entering this season, the talk was no longer about Beckham's potential to be a cornerstone of the franchise, but instead was about whether he could be a quality everyday player.
Enough was enough for the White Sox this year. In the midst of a rebuilding movement, Beckham continued to struggle at the plate. He batted .221 with a .263 OBP. It was clear that the 27 year old would not be a part of the club moving forward, which led to his trade to the Angels.
White Sox fans will always think about the "what-ifs" when thinking about Beckham's time in Chicago. What if he learned a better approach at the plate? What if there wasn't so much pressure placed on him right away? What if the White Sox never moved him from shortstop?
Nobody will ever know the answer to these questions. The White Sox will never really know what they could have had with Gordon Beckham. They decided to cut their losses and move on. At this point in time, it was the right move.
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