White Sox trade Miguel Gonzalez to Rangers for prospect Ti’Quan Forbes

On August 31st the Chicago White Sox traded right-hander Miguel Gonzalez to the Texas Rangers for third base prospect Ti’Quan Forbes. Here’s a quick take on the newest member of the burgeoning White Sox farm system.

Ti’Quan Forbes, 3B: The Rangers drafted Forbes in the second round in 2014 from high school in Columbia, Mississippi. He was a classic Rangers draft pick: an excellent athlete with physical projection but with questions about his swing and approach.

He hasn’t produced much with the bat yet, hitting .246/.304/.330 in 1305 professional at-bats including a .236/.283/.345 line this season between Low-A and High-A. He’s shown more power this year with a career-best 11 homers, albeit with a poor BB/K ratio of 25/130 in 487 at-bats.

Forbes is a right-handed hitter, age 21, listed at 6-3, 180. He’s got plus raw power but doesn’t get to it often enough and lacks the on-base skills to compensate, at least so far.

He does have very good defensive skills, featuring an accurate throwing arm, plus range, and better reliability than most young third basemen. His defensive acumen buys his bat more time.