Top Trade Candidates the White Sox Will Shop at the Deadline

Potentially the biggest seller in the market right now, the Chicago White Sox will have an extremely busy few weeks leading up to the July 30th trade deadline.

With potentially the two top players on the market if they can find a team willing to match the price, Chicago could control much of the deadline.

The White Sox rebuild from 2016-2019 resulted in just two brief playoff appearances and they have since fully turned a corner with many key players gone and others due to be out of the door soon. After launching into another “rebuild” this past offseason, the farm system has improved drastically in the course of a year, with more hope for the future building.

The Major League team, however, is 27-68 and on pace for the worst season in franchise history. It has not been pretty in Chicago, but that doesn’t mean they don’t possess legit assets other teams would love to acquire at the deadline.

Nearly half the roster could be on the move from Chicago by the end of the month. Two stars are complimented by one of the most consistent arms on the market, a number of experienced veteran bats, and some intriguing flyers.

As the deadline approaches, let’s examine the players who could be dealt by the White Sox as they lean further into the future and try to build their farm system into the elite tier around the league.

Luis Robert Jr.

One of the most talented outfielders in the game has a rather complicated market but is undoubtably the top outfielder who could realistically be acquired at the deadline this year.

The 26-year-old center fielder finally put his full ability on display for an entire season in 2023 as he crushed 38 home runs, stole 20 bases, and played gold glove caliber defense. However, he was hurt again for a large portion of this spring as he has been for many chunks of his career.

He has not been as impressive as last season, but Robert has still hit 11 home runs in just 40 games en route to producing a .788 OPS on the year. It would be unsurprising if his numbers ticked up even more if traded to a team in the midst of a playoff run.

Concern for his availability is valid, but Robert has three more years after this season at a total cost of just $55 million, which is excellent for a player of his caliber. Having four years of a playoff run on his contract still will understandably cause Chicago to maintain a sky-high price for their only remaining star hitter.

They have zero urgency to move him as they hope to be competitive with him under contract particularly in his last two years, but it could make sense to cash in on such a valued asset. The asking price will be hard to match for any team as it will have to start with two top 100 prospects and then some.

Not many teams have the need and the prospects necessary to swing a deal for Robert, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. I still see it as less than a 50% chance he actually gets dealt, but a few teams make tons of sense if it were to happen.

Potential Fits: Phillies, Mariners, Dodgers, Orioles

I put together five in-depth Robert mock trades that could make sense if the White Sox were to move him and these teams ultimately seem like the natural fits. The Phillies and Mariners feel like the two teams that could actually pull this off given their young offensive prospects, need for outfield help, and clear buying mentality heading into the deadline.

Those two could make it happen if they decide to go all-in but it feels to me like the White Sox will allow Robert to build his value further before moving him in the offseason or next deadline given his years of control remaining.

Garrett Crochet

Entering 2024, countless people within the White Sox and MLB in its entirety, including myself, doubted that Garrett Crochet could transition to being a starting pitcher after missing 2022 and only throwing just 12.2 innings last year.

Well, we were all wrong. Crochet has not only done just that but he has been one of the best pitchers in MLB and leads the entire league in strikeouts. With a 3.08 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 146 strikeouts, and excellent underlying metrics, Crochet has been nothing short of exceptional.

All of that alongside the fact that he has two more years of team control via arbitration makes Crochet the best starting pitcher on the trade market right now.

He does come with ample risk, even more than his aforementioned fellow star teammate, given that he has thrown more innings this season than his entire MLB career combined prior. Whatever team Crochet plays for down the stretch will have to get creative in limiting his innings in order to preserve him for the postseason and the future to come.

That makes this another hard trade to conceptualize much like Robert. The White Sox have a new ace but could cash in at the peak of his value with two more years of control and mitigate the extreme risk. However, contenders will be weary as they look to acquire players they know can impact their chances of winning the World Series.

A deal for Crochet would net an absolute haul for Chicago, but it’s not going to be easy to convince a team to part with three or more high-end prospects for a guy in his first year of starting.

Every team needs pitching but not many have the farm system depth to part with while being able to survive the risk of a pitcher like Crochet.

Potential Fits: Orioles, Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies, Padres

As with every top arm on the market, the Orioles are the most obvious fit ever. They can hold off on moving all four of their top prospects and still make a deal happen for Crochet likely. And if they decide they’re willing to move Samuel Basallo, this deal should simply happen.

I wrote full mock trades for these five teams that dive into which prospects make the most sense for Chicago in a deal. Crochet feels more likely to be moved than Robert given that his value has never been higher and the White Sox have ample pitching depth waiting in the wings.

If they can acquire two or three elite hitting prospects in a deal for their ace, it makes sense to pull the trigger. The price will remain sky-high though and they don’t feel a sense of urgency to move him given the two additional years on his contract.

Erick Fedde

At this point, this signing has to be considered one of the best of the entire offseason. The White Sox signed KBO MVP Erick Fedde to a two-year, $15 million deal after he completely overhauled his arsenal and pitch style in Korea.

He has turned into a massive steal on that contract as he just lowered his ERA to 2.99 across his first 19 starts back in MLB with Chicago. He has made every start while throwing a total of 111.1 innings and has proved his dependability in the past as well.

In what once looked like a shot-in-the-dark that it would click type of signing, Fedde should net a real prospect and potentially even a pair of prospects. He has shown to be a very steady mid-rotation starter who could help stabilize a playoff rotation.

With an affordable second year on his deal and a very dependable first half of the season under his belt, Fedde seems like the most obvious trade chip that the Sox can cash in on. The veteran pitcher likely doesn’t fit into the long-term timeline in Chicago and will be one of the top arms available especially if the price for his staff co-leader is too high for most contenders.

Potential Fits: Orioles, Dodgers, Padres, Brewers, Braves, Cardinals, Astros

Essentially every contender will at least check in on the Fedde market. There’s no reason they shouldn’t as he won’t cost an arm and a leg like Crochet but can be a major addition for October.

A deal will have to be centered around one borderline top 100 type of prospect, likely a position player, who the White Sox can insert into their future core. A second flyer could be added especially if a relief arm is thrown into a deal alongside Fedde.

He’s the first player on this list of assets that I believe will certainly be traded by the end of the month as the White Sox should realize by now that he’s unlikely to sign an extension and the team won’t be competing while he’s still there. He’ll be moved to a team clearly in contention with a strong system.

Michael Kopech

One of the most confusing pitchers in the league transitioned from a starting job into the closer role this spring after a shaky start to Spring Training. He has been up-and-down all season with some showings that make him seem like an elite bullpen arm and others where he simply looks unusable.

Right now is one of those exciting times as Kopech just threw an immaculate inning this week, the first by a White Sox pitcher in over 100 years.

His fastball has regularly been sitting around 100 mph this season but he has not done the best job utilizing his arsenal throughout the year. When Kopech actually trusts his secondary stuff, his fastball plays up even more and he can be a rather effective late inning arm.

Despite a number of blown saves and rough outings, somebody is going to take a shot on Kopech. His stuff is still so electric and teams will think they can work through it with him.

Kopech has one year of arbitration left and just hired Scott Boras as he prepares for a new chapter of his career not with Chicago. If he has a solid few weeks in July here, he should be out the door much like Fedde.

He’s not going to net a massive deal, but could be packaged with another player or simply sent to a contending team for a young prospect with upside.

Potential Fits: Phillies, Orioles, Dodgers, Padres, Cubs, Mets

There is no exact fit for someone like Kopech as it will take a team willing to experience some turbulence to take a shot on him. Plenty of teams could use a flamethrower in the bullpen and Kopech could very well turn into an excellent arm if he establishes a more complete arsenal with better command of his heater.

Tommy Pham

The next group of trade candidates are all veteran rentals brought in by the White Sox to fill holes and ultimately with the hope of netting a prospect. That group kicks off with Tommy Pham, who was signed by the White Sox a couple weeks into the season and has turned in a solid campaign.

Pham has played all three outfield positions at times in Chicago, proving that he can still handle himself on defense at 36 years old. His offense has tappered off after a strong start, but he has still be a decent bat for Chicago and would fit as a fourth outfielder on many teams.

On a one-year deal, Pham is a guarantee to get moved if he has any suitors which I do believe he will. He’s not the player he once was, but plenty of teams could use another versatile outfielder.

Potential Fits: Phillies, Braves, Dodgers

It seems like the big contenders in the National League are the most logical fits for Pham, especially the two NL East top teams. The Braves have been needing some outfield help since Ronald Acuña went down and the Phillies definitely need another guy who can play center. Pham has also been consistently better against left-handers which would fit well in the Philadelphia lineup.

The White Sox will only get a young flyer back for Pham, but that’s better than nothing for a rental who has served a purpose on the young team.

Paul DeJong

Paul DeJong was signed to fill a hole left by Tim Anderson’s departure and has exceeded expectations as one of the better hitters in the lineup for large chunks of the season. After being designated for assignment twice last year, DeJong has found his power once again.

He leads the team by a wide margin with 16 home runs across less than 300 at-bats, which is on pace to get close to his career-high of 30 home runs from 2019. That power surge has definitely created a market as few quality middle infielders will be available this deadline.

Without a lot of production outside of the homers, DeJong’s market won’t be super hot but he’ll generate some interest from teams looking to add another infielder to the mix. He can play all over the infield and would be a useful bench piece or plug-in starter for a number of teams.

Potential Fits: Yankees, Red Sox, Mariners, Dodgers

A few American League contenders could really use some infield depth and DeJong could be an easy addition. The Yankees and Red Sox both need a boost offensively and could look to DeJong for some added juice.

The White Sox should absolutely cash in on DeJong for any high-upside prospect they can get their hands on. Much like Pham, this is the type of player that good organizations try to turn into a young flyer who may be raw but could become something of value.

Chris Flexen

While not much of an impact add, Chris Flexen should generate interest from teams with pitching injuries in need of some innings. He has been quietly decent of late with an ERA just above four in his past seven starts.

He has shown an ability to pitch out of the bullpen in a long relief role too which builds his market a little. He may not get much interest, but I can see a few teams with a lot of injuries taking a flyer on Flexen.

Potential Fits: Dodgers, Orioles, Astros, Cardinals

It’s hard to gauge his market as he’s not going to be an initial target for any team, but Flexen could be a band aid solution for teams that miss out on their ideal pitchers of interest. If someone takes a chance on Flexen, he’ll be in a spot starter/long relief combo role most likely.

The White Sox will try to move every veteran they can and any return will be a plus for the future.

Gavin Sheets

Another player from the previous era of the White Sox, Gavin Sheets started the season hot and has quickly come back down to earth. After posting a .860 OPS in April, Sheets is back down to .703 on the year now and has produced minimal power for his profile.

He hasn’t really made much of an impact in the past few months, but a left-handed bench bat could be appealing to some teams if the White Sox decide to move on. He’s got three more years of arbitration as well which does build his value.

However, he may not have a MLB role by the end of that contract as he has yet to really show steady improvement in his career.

Potential Fits: Mariners, Brewers, Reds, Pirates

He feels less likely to be moved because of his low value and years of control, but Sheets could fill a bench first base/corner outfield role on a number of middle tier teams hoping to contend.

John Brebbia, Steven Wilson, Tanner Banks, etc.

A rebuilding team should move any veteran bullpen arms they have with any sort of value. Last year the White Sox turned a non-guaranteed signing in Keynan Middleton into a decent prospect in Juan Carela from the Yankees.

Unfortunately, not many of the relief pitchers brought in on one-year deals have been productive for the White Sox. The bullpen as a whole has been brutal and few, if any, of these arms will net any sort of return.

John Brebbia, given his track record, feels like the most likely non-Kopech reliever to garner interest. Tanner Banks has been quietly decent and could be of interest as a versatile left-hander.

Potential Fits: Contenders

Any contender will be looking for bullpen help, but I’m not sure any of these pitchers will be traded for much of anything.

Eloy Jimenez and Yoan Moncada

This is a little mention at the end given that essentially no team will want either of these two former top prospects at this point in time. Eloy Jimenez and Yoan Moncada were supposed to be a huge part of the core in Chicago, but both have been injured essentially every year and haven’t been even close to what was once expected when on the field.

They both signed massive extensions early in their careers with Chicago and haven’t reached the team option portion of their respective deals. The White Sox will undoubtably be declining both of their options so they would love to move them at the deadline.

Unfortunately for the organization, both players have buyouts with Jimenez due $3 million and Moncada due $5 million if their options are declined. Considering both have been hurt for much of this year and not very impressive when on the field, it’s unlikely anybody is going to acquire them knowing they have to pay a buyout.

I added them in because there’s always a chance a deal happens maybe if the White Sox send some money. However, it’s definitely unlikely and both players will likely finish out the year and their White Sox careers in Chicago this September.