Even after a recent skid against the Astros and Yankees, the White Sox find themselves atop the AL Central and in position to be buyers this Trade Deadline. Depending on who you trust for your trade rumors this time of year, you can expect the team to leave no stone unturned in trying to improve in Chris Getz‘s first Trade Deadline as a buyer.
I’ve done versions of this sort of Trade Deadline article over the years, but this one will be a little different. There has been so much talk about so many different options the White Sox could pursue by the deadline, and there are a lot of names that you probably already know. I’m going to do my best to find a combination of both the well-known and under-the-radar names the team could consider, and at the end of this article, I’ll put together some mock trades as to how I would go about the deadline.
Spoiler alert: as I’ll explain below, you won’t find any blockbuster trades among my list.
Trade Deadline Primer
Here’s how I rank the White Sox’ needs over the next few days:
- Starting pitching (duh)
- Starter-caliber catcher
- Back-end relief pitcher
- Power-hitting outfield bench bat
I think Nos. 1 and 2 are the obvious ones, with people’s opinions swaying on 3 and certainly 4. I could see this being a successful deadline so long as the team addresses the first two pieces.
Before getting into options, here’s why you won’t see any blockbuster moves proposed by me. Simply put, the trade deadline isn’t usually the time when these types of moves are made. Sure, there are some, but as mentioned by friend of the page Beefloaf from Section 108, they’re few and far between. I’m not sure they make sense for the White Sox right now, anyway.
Finally, if you’re interested in some of our page’s longer-form thoughts on the Trade Deadline, make sure to check out the latest episode of our podcast.
With that, let’s begin.
Starting Pitchers
This is where the White Sox will obviously focus the majority of their attention this deadline. Ideally, the team would get two starting pitchers. I could be convinced that one true ace-caliber pitcher, plus some bullpen upgrades, could be enough, but I’m not sure this is the deadline where the White Sox will choose to sell the farm for a top-of-the-market starter or even a controllable one.
Clay Holmes, RHP, NYM
Why he makes sense: Holmes is an expiring deal with a player option for next season, so there is a chance he could become more than just a rental. Before suffering a fractured fibula early this year, he posted some of his strongest career results: 52.2 IP, 2.39 ERA, 3.23 FIP, 20.9 K%, 8.4 BB%. He has some postseason experience, albeit as a reliever, which the White Sox reportedly covet. The team has also been watching his rehab starts and views his stuff as “big-league ready.”
What’s the concern: It’s going to be a strong market for Holmes, which is going to make it difficult for the White Sox as the price naturally inflates as more teams get involved. There should also be plenty of concern coming off of injury about his effectiveness. He’s more of a mid-rotation starter than a top-of-the-rotation guy as well, but given the market, teams might have to part with a bit more than they might be willing initially.
Potential return: I think the return is going to be one of the most expensive rentals on the market; I could see names like Tanner McDougal, Boston Smith, Jaden Fauske, or William Bergolla among those considered.
Robbie Ray, LHP, SFG
Why he makes sense: Another top-of-the-market rental, Ray has had his strongest season in San Francisco to date. Through 116.2 innings, he’s 9-6 with a 3.16 ERA, though a 4.49 FIP may temper some of those high hopes. He is in the middle of a strong six-start run in which he’s 5-0 with a 1.04 ERA, which should definitely help his value while assuaging some concerns over his abilities. He also has some of the playoff experience the White Sox are looking for, pitching in three different postseasons throughout his career (2017, 2020, 2022).
What’s the concern: As evidenced by the FIP, there are some red flags with Ray away from the pitcher’s paradise that is Oracle Park. He has a 2.22 ERA at home with a .268 wOBA against, compared to a 4.53 ERA and .350 wOBA against on the road. He’s also posted a career-low strikeout rate and career-high walk rate to this point in the season, and eventually, the additional balls in play and baserunners will catch up to guys.
Potential return: I don’t believe he should be as expensive as Holmes, but I could see a similar return necessary for Ray here as well once more teams get involved. Other prospects to add might include Kyle Lodise or Mason Adams.
Kevin Gausman, RHP, TOR
Why he makes sense: The fastball’s a tick slower than it used to be, but Kevin Gausman is about as steady as it gets when it comes to major league arms. In 121.2 innings this season, Gausman is 4-10 with a 4.51 ERA, but a 3.58 FIP, which is much more in line with career norms. Plus, if playoff experience is important to the White Sox, it’ll be hard to find better than someone who helped lead his team to the World Series last season. He’s also top 20 in innings pitched this season, so you can trust that he’ll be taking the ball every fifth day.
What’s the concern: A lot of the concerns have already been explained – Gausman isn’t exactly the same guy he’s been throughout his career. While the stuff has remained largely the same, the results haven’t; but, perhaps a change of scenery and a bit of a different pitch mix could be beneficial. The White Sox are also on his no-trade list, but that just means he would have to approve a trade to the team. I’m not sure why he wouldn’t, given his current situation in Toronto, but it definitely complicates this.
Potential return: A couple of mid-tier prospects; I don’t anticipate this return being particularly expensive, even given the potential upside.
Trevor Rogers, LHP, BAL
Why he makes sense: Consider Rogers to be among the players on this list where his team is in a weird limbo of not good enough to be division winners, but technically in the thick of a bunch of average teams in the Wild Card. The Orioles would like to extend Rogers, but he’s made it clear that this isn’t something that’s going to happen in-season. So, unless Baltimore thinks they’ll be able to climb out of a tough Wild Card or AL East, it would make sense to sell their expiring contracts.
On the season, the 28-year-old is 6-7 with a 4.27 ERA/3.57 FIP, Overall, he has been on a tear since coming over to the Orioles a few years ago from the Marlins. Before yesterday’s outing with the Tigers, he was on a run of nine consecutive starts giving up three runs or fewer, posting a 1.80 ERA/2.71 FIP across that stretch. Don’t let his overall season numbers fool you: he’s been a different pitcher in recent weeks. Trading for him would give the White Sox someone with near-top-of-the-rotation potential that has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past two months.
What’s the concern: As we’ve learned as White Sox fans many a trade deadline, the Orioles have never been a team that makes many moves, whether buying or selling. It seems equally as likely that Baltimore keeps Rogers as it does that they trade him. In addition, Rogers isn’t a huge strikeout pitcher (19.2 K%), and he has a career-high of 133.2 innings. He’s already at 109.2 innings for the season, so there’s some concern over fatigue at the end of the year.
Potential return: I think Rogers is just a tier below the Ray/Holmes packages; but, if the Orioles decide to move him, it might take the same return as either of those guys.
Dustin May, RHP, STL
Why he makes sense: Much like the Marlins, the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves not good enough to compete in the NL Central, but *technically* close enough to be in a position to add if they really wanted to at the trade deadline. Still, it would make sense for them to move some expiring deals, something that insiders have alluded to them doing.
May has been quietly a reliable presence for the Cardinals throughout the season. He’s made 21 starts on the year and given up three or fewer runs in 15 of them. The problem is that in those other six games, he’s given up five or more runs five times. For the season, that’s come out to a 4.38 ERA/3.16 FIP, but a 3.54 ERA/2.92 FIP since his two blowup starts to begin the season.
What’s the concern: As mentioned, he’s had some blowup starts. That’s not exactly the consistency the White Sox would like to be the only arm they acquire at the deadline, but if they can acquire two arms, May could be a solid one to replace Noah Schultz at the back. The problem just becomes how much of an upgrade the team would view him as over someone like Erick Fedde at the end of the rotation. He gets ground balls but also keeps the ball in the ballpark, which should make him viewed as an upgrade over Fedde, but I digress.
Potential return: May would definitely be one of the cheaper names on this list; it likely wouldn’t take much.
Other Pitchers Considered: Sandy Alcantara (MIA), Reid Detmers (LAA), Freddy Peralta (NYM), Eric Lauer (LAD), Michael Wacha (KCR), Luis Castillo, Emerson Hancock (SEA), Foster Griffin (WAS)
Catchers
I wrote an article that goes into more detail about a whole bunch of catchers, so make sure to read it HERE.
I’ll just add a name or two that wasn’t already listed.
Luis Torrens, NYM
Why he makes sense: I got yelled at by Mets fans for criticizing the team after they reportedly are no longer considering trading Torrens. Still, that could be posturing by the organization, so I’m still thinking that the Mets are considering trading him. The 30-year-old is one of the strongest defensive catchers in baseball while also possessing a decent understanding of the zone for ABS challenges. His caught stealing, framing, and blocking abilities all rank significantly higher than either Edgar Quero or Drew Romo, even if his bat is relatively on par with both of those names. So, in that way, he still represents an upgrade, and one with control next season as well on top of it.
What’s the concern: He simply can’t hit (71 wRC+), and if the White Sox are at all concerned by the black hole they’ve received offensively from the catching position this season, he isn’t going to be the upgrade they chase. I could see them simply wanting one of the best defensive catchers, regardless of his offensive abilities; I just don’t know if that’s the right way to go.
Potential return: Even though he is under contract for another season, he has an OPS hovering around .600, which isn’t going to fetch much more than a half-decent lottery ticket prospect in a trade. I can understand why Mets fans may not want to trade him for this return, but they probably still should.
Brandon Valenzuela, TOR
Why he makes sense: Valenzuela is a unique one on this list because he has just 203 PA in his career and is in his rookie season. He got off to a hot start but has cooled down significantly, hitting .228/.307/.394 on the year while serving behind Alejandro Kirk. Because he will be stuck behind Kirk through at least the 2030 season, it might make sense for the Blue Jays to sell high.
The 25-year-old represents a strong defensive catcher, in many ways similar to Luis Torrens but a little weaker in blocking. He’s also posted a 10.3% walk rate early in his career and is a switch-hitter who has slightly above-average bat speed. He’s also a big “pull the ball in the air” player, which fits the profile of White Sox hitters and would certainly enjoy life as a lefty at Rate Field.
What’s the concern: You’d certainly hope that he’ll make adjustments to big-league pitching, as in his last 68 plate appearances, he’s hitting just .175/.235/.238, which represents no meaningful upgrade to Quero and Romo. He doesn’t have a minor league track record that suggests he would be more than an average-at-best major league hitter, meaning his initial .780 OPS through 62 plate appearances probably isn’t coming back. He also would not represent an upgrade in ABS challenges, even with his defensive capabilities. Finally, depending on how the Blue Jays view him, he might be too expensive for the value he actually provides.
Potential return: Definitely the hardest one to figure out on this list because of the years of control. I feel like the White Sox could give up a near-top 10 prospect and maybe dangle Korey Lee out there as a short-term backup to Kirk and be relatively close.
Relief Pitchers
I don’t view relief pitching as a giant need for the White Sox, as guys like Tanner McDougal and Hagen Smith will no doubt come up at some point and try to fill some gaps. Consider the names on this list to be ones that raise the floor of the bullpen primarily; remember, the most impactful trade the White Sox made at the deadline in 2021 was for Ryan Tepera, not Craig Kimbrel.
Luke Weaver, RHP, NYM
Why he makes sense: Weaver has been everything the Mets hoped for when they signed him to a two-year, $22M contract this offseason. In 43 innings, he has a 1.88 ERA, 2.88 FIP, and has continued his career trend of solid strikeout rates (26.5%) while keeping walks to a minimum (6.6%). He is also controllable for another season, and given that he has put together three straight excellent seasons, it appears that extra year of control would be incredibly valuable.
What’s the concern: Relievers are always volatile, especially one that uses his fastball 50% of the time. There’s natural risk in that, on top of the fact that the price will naturally inflate given he’s one of the best relievers on the market. Additionally, I just don’t think this’ll be a package where the team decides to only trade him away. They’ll likely package him with one of their starters or hitters to a team.
In terms of pure stuff though, there are very few concerns with Weaver. This is more about the price/package being right.
Potential return: If I have a favorite reliever on this list, it’s Luke Weaver. I’d be willing to pay the price, but it would take some top names like Jaden Fauske, David Sandlin, Tanner McDougal, or even Billy Carlson, depending on the package the team were to put together with the White Sox.
Adrian Morejon, LHP, SDP
Why he makes sense: Let’s take rumors at their word and say that the Padres are, in fact, a little willing to do some selling. I’ll personally believe it when it happens, but if they are, I’d love the White Sox to grab one of the most effective arms over the past several seasons.
The 27-year-old lefty would represent a true strikeout option from the left side, something that this bullpen is still lacking even with the success of both Sean Newcomb and Bryan Hudson (with Hudson showing some cracks recently). His 3.14 ERA/2.50 FIP remains among the best left-handed options in the game to go with his highest strikeout rate since 2020. He’s been dependable as well, covering 63.2 and 73.2 innings in the last two years, respectively, and is on his way towards that again in 2026 with 57.1 innings already under his belt.
What’s the concern: There is not much of a world in which I really think the Padres decide to sell a bit. Even if they do, this is another top-of-the-market reliever, and the White Sox would have to be okay operating at that prospect cost for a rental.
Potential return: Despite being a rental, I think Morejon’s effectiveness places him in the same return tier as Weaver. If he’s legitimately available, he represents the best attainable option on the market.
Tejay Antone, RHP, CIN
Why he makes sense: Antone is coming off a few seasons’ worth of arm injuries, but when healthy in his career, he’s been rather effective. He’s got 33.1 innings under his belt this season, posting a 2.16 ERA/3.86 FIP while striking out 21.9% of hitters and walking just 5.8% of them. He can run his fastball up to about 95 on average, but he’s been more of a sweeper/cutter/curveball profile this year since he doesn’t have his 100 mph fastball anymore.
For the White Sox, he would represent some middle relief stability with the ability to cover high-leverage innings, given that it’s something he’s done throughout his career. He’s well-liked in Cincinnati, so you know they’d be getting a good dude on top of it.
What’s the concern: “When healthy” is always a fun thing to say about a reliever. This season is his return from a third career Tommy John surgery, and because of that injury history, he’s never thrown more than 30 innings in a season. So, unfortunately, he’s already at career maximums. The White Sox would be hoping he has another 20-25 healthy innings in him this year. His stuff is also diminished from his best days, as evidenced by his 3.86 FIP and average at best strikeout rate.
Potential return: Even with the upside, this would not be an expensive upgrade. The White Sox would just have to decide if this is enough of an upgrade. Doing so would say that they’re okay depending on Tanner McDougal and Hagen Smith a bit more heavily down the stretch.
Jeff Hoffman, RHP, TOR
Why he makes sense: Hoffman has been on a wild ride these past few seasons since getting to Toronto, but possesses the sort of playoff experience the White Sox would like in a player. The 33-year-old is elite at getting swings and misses, striking out 34.8% of hitters while keeping his walk rate relatively low at 8.2%. He has been on a tear over the past few months after some early-season struggles, posting a 1.33 ERA/2.42 FIP over his last 20.1 innings. It’s insane swing-and-miss stuff from a guy with plenty of high-leverage experience, and he is under contract for the 2027 season as well.
What’s the concern: Hoffman has gigantic stuff, but at the same time, has always struggled giving up the long ball. He also lost his closer spot that he had last season, and we all know how the World Series ended last year. For some players, that extra year of control is valuable, but for Hoffman at 34 years old and $11M, it may be a bit of a detractor to some.
Potential return: A very hard return to judge. On one hand, the extra year of control is nice, but on the other, he’s going to be a 34-year-old reliever that makes $11M. I think it still could cost them a top-10 piece or one close to it, plus another flyer. He’s really good and can arguably be considered the top arm on the market. No matter the concerns, he won’t be cheap.
Other Relievers Considered: Mason Miller (SDP), Anthony Bender (MIA), Pete Fairbanks (MIA), Ryan Zeferjahn (LAA), Mason Fluharty (TOR), Antonio Senzatela (COL)
Outfielders
I’m personally of the opinion that the outfield position is a bigger problem than fans believe it is right now. Tristan Peters has been a great story this season, but every expected statistic from the beginning of the year has told you that some sort of regression was coming for him. That’s hit hard in the second half, and while this slump of his isn’t sustainable, neither was the .361 wOBA he was running in the first half. If the White Sox can be opportunistic in finding an outfield bat, they should be.
Jo Adell, LAA
Why he makes sense: Said simply, power. The White Sox are lacking in that currently off the bench, and it would be nice to add someone like Adell who hit 37 homers last season and 20 the year before. He’s crushed left-handed pitching this year, posting a 156 wRC+ and .941 OPS in 126 plate appearances. He does have another season of control, which may be attractive to teams.
What’s the concern: He really doesn’t do much else. He doesn’t walk, can’t defend, and struggles against RHP (67 wRC+). Any team that trades for Adell is trading for power. That’s fine, as long as you realize that going into it.
Potential return: Even with a year of additional control, this should not be an expensive return at all.
Lane Thomas, KCR
Why he makes sense: Much like Adell, Thomas excels at hitting left-handed pitching (125 wRC+). He’s not a great defender, but could play CF in a pinch if needed. He’s a typical deadline rental, albeit with a little less power than most. He does have an 11.8% walk rate, so you know you’re going to get some good at-bats out of him regardless of results.
What’s the concern: Most of them have already been covered, but in short, it’s a fairly limited profile that is almost equivalent to what Austin Hays could provide. This would be more about whether or not the White Sox wanted a different option in CF, but even then, you’d have to be willing to take a hit defensively.
Potential return: Minimal, much like Adell. Rentals that only hit one type of pitching are cheap.
Taylor Ward, BAL
Why he makes sense: After some really strong seasons in Los Angeles, Taylor Ward has seen a dramatic step back this season in his final year of arbitration. He’s hitting .248/.383/.350 with just seven home runs after hitting 36 last season. He’s been above-average, however, against both lefties (140 wRC+) and righties (109 wRC+), fueled in part by an impressive 16.9% walk rate against a 20.4% strikeout rate. He is a rental, so his price would be lower, but you know that there is still some power that could be tapped into based on his history.
What’s the concern: The lack of power doesn’t help if you’re looking for that sort of bat off the bench. He’s also an average defender at best and has only played left field this season, so it wouldn’t help supplement any of Peters’ production if they can’t play the same position.
Potential return: Fairly cheap for the upside; I still think that Baltimore would be wise to move their rentals, and Ward is one that they could get priced higher than expected due to the upside and ability to hit both lefties and righties.
Jake McCarthy, COL
Why he makes sense: After some mixed results throughout his career, McCarthy has found some stability in Colorado. He’s hitting a career-best .293/.334/.491 while still keeping his strikeouts to a below-average rate (18%). He can be an above-average defender at all three positions, which would help create some versatility in the White Sox’ lineup. He’s also interesting in that, even as a left-handed hitter, he hits lefties (135 wRC+) better than righties (102 wRC+).
What’s the concern: Coors.
He has a 97 wRC+ on the road, which isn’t terrible, but is a far cry from his 123 wRC+ at home. He’s controllable, and the Rockies are “listening” on offers for their controllable pieces, but aren’t exactly incentivized to move them. So, even if the White Sox wanted McCarthy, it would likely need to be at a price that was a little higher than expected. His .354 wOBA/.307 xwOBA split is worrisome on top of that for any regression that might be coming from batted ball luck. Again, Coors.
Potential return: He’s not a rental, as he’s under contract for two more seasons. So, he’ll be expensive. I would expect at least Billy Carlson or David Sandlin would need to be a headliner, plus more. Not sure it’s worth the price personally.
Other Outfielders Considered: Tyrone Taylor (NYM), George Springer (TOR), Mickey Moniak (COL), Lars Nootbaar (STL)
Trade Proposals
Here’s how I’d tackle the Trade Deadline if Chris Getz were to ask me for help (he won’t). This is the section in which I simultaneously give up too much and too little for players, depending on who you ask, so I’m quite excited for that.
Trade 1: White Sox acquire LHP Trevor Rogers from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for OF Jaden Fauske, INF Javier Mogollon, and RHP Jonathan Cannon
Fauske is the big prize here for the Orioles, and he is the top 10 prospect that the White Sox should be most willing to move at the deadline not named Billy Carlson. He’s put up a pretty strong season at age 19, and he’s shown the athleticism and swing decisions that would make him appealing in a move like this. His age also gives the Orioles time to develop him the way that they would like to. Mogollon represents another young prospect who’s put up good numbers throughout his professional career, and Cannon is simply a throw-in with control to give the Orioles someone to help fill their rotation for the rest of the season.
If they needed to swap out names, I could be comfortable moving David Sandlin or Billy Carlson here depending on the rest of the package if it came to that. I think other names you could see here are ones mentioned at other points in my deadline moves. But, long story short, if the White Sox are going to take a semi-big swing at a starter, I’d want it to be for Rogers. If the Orioles decide not to sell, I’d move onto Clay Holmes and offer a similar package.
Trade 2: White Sox acquire RHP Kevin Gausman from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for INF William Bergolla and RHP Mason Adams
When it comes to Bergolla, I’m not sure how many 5-foot-8 utility-type players the White Sox need in their system. He’s one of several, and I think because of his limited ceiling, I view him as expendable without breaking the bank. He did get injured in his rehab assignment and is out for the year, so if that worries the Blue Jays, Kyle Lodise or Colby Shelton could be other names that come into play here.
Adams coming out of the bullpen a few days ago is interesting. Perhaps the team could be looking to feature him as a versatile option to other teams, or perhaps the White Sox are actually considering making him the guy they bring up at the deadline as they shuffle the roster. Either way, I think he makes sense as a potential mid-rotation arm for the Blue Jays in the future.
I know his numbers are down in terms of results, but nothing about Gausman’s stuff jumps out to me as a legitimate issue; I think a change of scenery and perhaps some small tweaks can get Gausman back on a track closer to his career norms. All of this is, of course, dependent on Gausman waiving his no-trade clause, which I still don’t think is actually an issue. If they end up being a concern, I think Dustin May would come at a similar enough price that he would be my backup plan here.
Trade 3: White Sox acquire C Tyler Stephenson and RP Tejay Antone from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for INF Ryan Burrowes, C Korey Lee, and OF Samuel Zavala
Remember Zavala? The Dylan Cease trade? He has stalled out a bit in recent seasons, hitting just .215/.352/.350 in Double-A. He is still just 21-years-old, but he is also Rule 5 eligible this offseason. I’d like the White Sox to capitalize on this as a result and see if another team might be willing to take him, while still recognizing that his value is limited because of that Rule 5 eligibility.
Burrowes is another one of those younger prospects that has performed well this season, putting up an .800 OPS as a 21-year-old in High-A. He’s appealing enough as a headliner for two average rentals, while Korey Lee gets a chance to be a bridge to Alfredo Duno, the next big name for the Reds. Because the catching market might heat up a bit, if this ends up not being enough for the two, I’d involve names like Tyler Schweitzer or Anthony DePino, as well as all of the aforementioned names.
It’s not the sexiest upgrade, but let’s be honest: it would be nice to have a catcher with an OPS above .700, and Stephenson will more than likely give you that. I know everyone wants a super strong defensive catcher, but you just can’t have a black hole in this lineup, and I think he does enough defensively through blocking and ABS challenges (top 3 in baseball) to make up for the rest of his defensive shortcomings. This move just makes too much sense for me.
Post-Deadline Roster
After all of these moves – and a few internal ones – here’s how I’d line it up the rest of the season:
- Catchers: Tyler Stephenson, Edgar Quero
- Infielders: Munetaka Murakami, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas, Luisangel Acuna
- Outfielders: Sam Antonacci, Tristan Peters, Braden Montgomery, Everson Pereira, Austin Hays
- Designated Hitter: Andrew Benintendi
- Starting Rotation: Sean Burke, Trevor Rogers, Kevin Gausman, Davis Martin, Anthony Kay
- Left-Handed Bullpen: Bryan Hudson, Sean Newcomb
- Right-Handed Bullpen: Grant Taylor, Seranthony Domínguez, Trevor Richards, Jordan Hicks, Tejay Antone, Tanner McDougal
In this world, the White Sox will unfortunately be saying goodbye to both Noah Schultz (optioned) and Erick Fedde (DFA’d or potentially traded). The more unfortunate one here is Fedde, who I think has done excellently in the role asked of him; if the White Sox only acquire one starting pitcher at the deadline, I think he stays and becomes a piggyback of sorts with Smith or McDougal. Schultz should be sent down and asked to continue his development for a future version of the White Sox that needs him. But I think these three moves above give the White Sox enough of an addition to their weaknesses without going overboard on the pedigree of prospects that they trade.
I didn’t end up trading for an outfielder. The White Sox spent $6M on Austin Hays this year; I think he will be up once he’s ready. He covers the role of lefty masher well, does hit RHP well enough in the case that Peters continues to struggle, and I think the team would rather give Everson Pereira some run than DFA him for a different rental option.
Randal Grichuk has been great at times, but also, he has a 26 wRC+ over his last 45 plate appearances, which is not ideal for your power bat off the bench. If given the option, I’d try and trade for Jo Adell or Taylor Ward off of my list above. It’s what I’d prefer, but also, it’s not so strong of a preference that the alternative of a healthy Hays is that unappealing of an idea.
The White Sox have been rumored several times to not really want to move any of their top prospects; I get that, to a degree, but if the right opportunity presents itself, you have to be willing to move names like Billy Carlson, Tanner McDougal, or Hagen Smith. Because I went with more of a rental route for this Trade Deadline, I didn’t necessarily need to do that (at least for now, but you never know how the trade deadline goes). As a result, it might feel like an underwhelming deadline to some. All that said, there’s no reason they shouldn’t take a swing at a big rental or controllable starter if the right opportunity comes up.
One idea I didn’t explore much is the opportunity to take on money for certain players to decrease the prospect return needed. I’m always in favor of that, and might open up the door for players like Luis Castillo, but ultimately, I do think the most likely route at the trade deadline for most teams becomes the ones with the least resistance (plus, in Castillo’s case, the looming 2027 lockout means that taking on money is not necessarily that appealing right now). Every team acts like a procrastinating college student at the deadline anyway, might as well make it as easy as possible to make deals.
The White Sox have the ability to trade from positions of strength – middle infield, in particular – this Trade Deadline, and I would like to see them do it strategically. They can get some intriguing pieces while also recognizing that this isn’t necessarily the season to sell the whole farm. But, with the threat of a lockout still looming, why not capitalize on what is right in front of you?
August 3rd is going to come quickly, so get ready for an interesting ride over this weekend.
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
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