On the latest episode of the Sox On 35th Podcast, there was a lot of talk about how the team’s 2025 home run leader couldn’t crack the lineup consistently. Today, that home run leader now plays in Canada.
The White Sox announced that they have traded infielder Lenyn Sosa to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for outfielder Jordan Rich and either cash considerations or a player to be named later. The team has not yet announced who will be taking Sosa’s place on the roster, but given recent rumors, it appears that Sam Antonacci might have a spot on the roster after all, with some reports stating he would be the next player in the big leagues after Noah Schultz’s promotion.
Rich, 18, was a 17th-round draft pick for the Blue Jays in 2025. He was taken out of American Heritage School in Florida and has yet to play a regular-season game as a professional. He was the 500th-ranked prospect in last year’s draft and features a profile that is primarily contact- and speed-based to this point. It is unclear if the White Sox will continue his off-field development at this point or begin to put him in some professional ballgames for the first time in his career.
Sosa, 26, is coming off his strongest campaign as a professional, slashing .264/.293/.434 in 544 plate appearances last season, good for a wRC+ of 100. While he did hit 22 homers with the club last season, his ceiling has always been limited by his inability to draw free passes at the big league level and his lack of a defensive position. He has just 33 plate appearances so far in 2026, hitting .212/.212/.303 (42 wRC+) in limited action.
At the end of the day, as a player without a defensive position, Sosa’s value on the trade market was always going to be limited, and the White Sox’ inability to find him consistent playing time speaks volumes about how they viewed his fit on the roster. With Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Luisangel Acuna, and eventually, Sam Antonacci among those who will be commanding playing time, Sosa’s path to consistent at-bats was murky at best. Instead, he gets a fresh start and returns an interesting flyer in Rich that has plenty of development still ahead of him. But, as they say every time a lottery commercial comes on: “You can’t win if you don’t play.”
We wish Sosa the best as he tries to make an impact for a competitive Toronto ballclub.
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Featured Image: William Purnell-Imagn Images
