CHICAGO _ Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn had just announced a blockbuster deal to send third baseman Todd Frazier, closer David Robertson and setup man Tommy Kahnle to the New York Yankees for four players late Tuesday night.
And then he mentioned he had buried the lead.
If a second massive trade in six days wasn't enough to get fans excited about the rebuild, top prospect Yoan Moncada will join the Sox on Wednesday and is expected to play on a regular basis.
Moncada's call-up was prompted because an infield position will open up with Frazier gone in a deal that netted highly ranked outfield prospect Blake Rutherford, left-handed pitching prospect Ian Clarkin, right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard and outfield prospect Tito Polo.
Rutherford, ranked the No. 36 overall prospect in Baseball America's midseason top 100, is the star minor leaguer in the trade.
The No. 18 overall pick in the 2016 draft out of his California high school, Rutherford, 20, was hitting .281 with 20 doubles, 25 walks, 55 strikeouts, nine stolen bases and a .342 on-base percentage over 71 games in Class A this year. He has played all three outfield positions but spent the most time in center field.
"We view him as a similar caliber player to some of the position players who head up our top prospect list," Hahn said. "He's a potential impact bat, left-handed hitter, who has a chance to stay in center field and provide us not only with a quality bat but also quality defense."
Clarkin was a first-round draft pick in 2013 and has a 2.62 ERA with 25 walks and 58 strikeouts over 15 games, including 14 starts, this season in Class A.
Polo, 22, was hitting .298 with 13 doubles, seven triples, five home runs, 36 RBIs, 20 walks, 25 stolen bases, 55 runs scored and a .358 on-base percentage over 72 games between Class A and Double A this season.
Clippard is an 11-year major-league veteran who owns a 4.95 ERA over 40 appearances this year.
The Sox started their trade-deadline dealing Thursday when they sent left-hander Jose Quintana to the Chicago Cubs for four prospects. That deal drove up the number of Sox prospects in Baseball America's midseason top 100 to seven, and Rutherford makes it eight.
Moncada will be the first of that group to see time with the Sox this year, and reliever Brad Goldberg also will be called up to fill a roster spot.
Moncada, who saw time with the Boston Red Sox last year, hit .282 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, 57 runs scored, 49 walks, 17 stolen bases and a .377 on-base percentage in 80 games with Triple-A Charlotte this year.
"We're not bringing him here to sit," Hahn said. "We're bringing him here to continue the development that needs to take place in Chicago. He still has work to do. He's very young, but we feel he's ready for that next challenge that comes at the big-league level."
Fans and media were tipped off something might be going down before the game when Frazier was a healthy scratch before Tuesday's 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Guaranteed Rate Field.
He was spotted hugging teammates in the dugout before the game, though it was unknown whether the embraces were of the goodbye or motivational pregame variety and he later sat for several innings to watch his team.
When Robertson was approached before the game by the media, he said simply, "I'm still here."
Frazier has been willing to talk about the possibilities, and he did again Tuesday.
"You wish everything could go in a simple manner and go as quickly as possible or just say it's not going to happen," Frazier said before the game. "Right now we are not at that point."
The deal meant the Sox had moved four of their most marketable trade pieces in the span of six days.
Frazier joined the White Sox from the Cincinnati Reds via a three-team trade in December 2015, in which the Sox sent Micah Johnson, Trayce Thompson and Frankie Montas to the Dodgers. Frazier hit .225 with 40 homers and 98 RBIs in 2016 and is hitting .207 with 16 homers and 44 RBIs this season.
Robertson, who pitched the first seven seasons of his career with the Yankees, signed a four-year, $46 million contract with the Sox in December 2014, including $12 million in 2017 and $13 million in 2018. He entered Tuesday with a 2.70 ERA and was 13-for-14 on save opportunities.
The Sox acquired Kahnle from the Colorado Rockies in 2015, and he has had a breakout season with a 2.50 ERA, seven walks and 60 strikeouts in 36 innings through Monday.
