D'Backs Ship Carlos Quentin to White Sox

Once upon a time, Carlos Quentin was considered an elite prospect with the D'Backs. Things just never panned out for him in the big leagues, though, and after an injury-riddled 2007 it was clear that he was no longer in Arizona's long-term plans, not with Eric Byrnes, Chris Young and Justin Upton occupying the outfield for the foreseeable future.

Not surprisingly, the D'Backs traded Quentin to the White Sox today in exchange for Chris Carter, a 20-year-old first baseman who spent all of last year playing Class A ball. Carter's an intriguing prospect, showing both patience and power at the plate. Conor Jackson's job isn't in jeopardy just yet, though, as Carter is probably at least a few years away from facing a big-league pitcher.

As for Quentin, the change of scenery should do him well. For one, he looks like he'll probably be penciled in as the new starting left fielder, assuming he's able to return from October shoulder surgery in time for the start of the year. And considering he's essentially replacing Darin Erstad and Scott Podsednik in the lineup, the bar for success isn't exactly set very high.