Carlos Quentin, OF, White Sox
Background: A first-round pick in 2003, Quentin appeared destined for stardom as an Arizona Diamondback. He was groomed as a replacement for Shawn Green. But after a successful 2006 season, he hit the skids last season because of a torn shoulder labrum. After committing $30 million to Eric Byrnes, Quentin was deemed expendable over the winter, shipped off to the White Sox for Chris Carter, a minor-leaguer Arizona packaged to land Oakland’s Dan Haren.
What’s up: Oops, there it was. Here’s all you need to know: Folks on the South Side of Chicago refer to Quentin as Q-uperman. He leads baseball with 35 home runs, ranks sixth in RBIs (97) and eighth in slugging percentage (.585). A similar start landed him on his first all-star team. He was better than Byrnes (who’s out for the season), but not bitter. “There’s no hard feelings, whatsoever. I completely understand how this game works and the business aspect of it. They have a great group of guys there.”
What’s next: Quentin, 25, has gone from NL afterthought to leading contender for AL MVP honors. Quentin has clobbered fluke talk like so many fastballs. He has belted 13 home runs in his last 109 at-bats.
Renck’s take: Fifteen months ago, Jeff Francis struck out Quentin looking on a bases-loaded changeup at Chase Field, part of a pivotal win that spurred the Rockies’ magical season. Quentin looked weak, but was clearly hurting more than he let on. He’s become a cautionary tale on giving up young players too soon. Arizona’s acquisition of Adam Dunn could soothe the loss of Quentin this season. Ultimately, it’s up to Justin Upton to make Diamondbacks fans forget Quentin. Upton is an MVP talent, but again, Quentin is having an MVP season.
