The Chicago White Sox look like a team that won't be making a return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. Here are five of the team's most likely trade candidates.
The Chicago White Sox looked like a team that could do some damage in the postseason just a couple of years ago. Yet, they were eliminated by the Oakland Athletics in the Wild Card Round in 2020, and the Houston Astros in the Division Series in 2021. The team vastly underperformed expectations last season, finishing a disappointing 81-81 and missing out on the postseason altogether.
This offseason, the White Sox brought in a new manager in Pedro Grifol, and added names like Mike Clevinger and Andrew Benintendi, hoping that these moves would turn their luck around. Yet, as of June 19, the White Sox are sitting in fourth place in a bad AL Central division with a 31-42 record. Luckily for them, they are still in striker's distance to the first-place Minnesota Twins, who are 36-36. With the trade deadline being on Aug. 1, the White Sox have over a month to determine if buying for a postseason berth or selling to build for the future is the best route for them.
If the White Sox were to sell, who would be the most likely candidates?
According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), the White Sox have told potential trade partners that as of now, they are only looking to trade players who are on expiring contracts and who aren't under greater team control. Some of the potential rental options that Rosenthal lists include Lucas Giolito, Mike Clevinger, Yasmani Grandal, Reynaldo Lopez, and Keynan Middleton.
With these potential trade candidates, we're going to take a crack at where they should land by the trade deadline.
MLB Rumors: 5 likeliest White Sox trade candidates and where they should land, No. 5: Yasmani Grandal to the Padres
Yes, the San Diego Padres took a flyer on Gary Sanchez, and he has rewarded them with six home runs through 18 games played. No one saw this coming, considering he was waived by the New York Mets not too long ago. But, the question that remains is, "Is this run sustainable?" History has shown that that's not the case with Sanchez, who is a home run-or-bust that strikes out…a lot.
Let's say that Sanchez's run of productive at-bats reaches its end. If that's the case, the Padres have a desperate need for the catcher position. Austin Nola is slashing .147/.267/.198 through 46 games played this season, while Luis Campusano is on the 60-day injured list due to a left thumb injury.
Enter Yasmani Grandal.
This season, Grandal has put up respectable numbers in the batter's box. Through 58 games played, Grandal recorded a .268 batting average, a .325 on-base percentage, a .402 slugging percentage, five home runs, 15 runs scored, 18 RBI, and 52 hits. In 47 games as a catcher, Grandal posted a .995 fielding percentage with 413 putouts, 15 assists, and two errors in 430 total chances.
If the Padres want to make a push for a World Series appearance, which they were three wins short of last year, they need to have a complete roster and for their stars to step up. They should prioritize getting a quality starting catcher like Grandal.
MLB Rumors: 5 likeliest White Sox trade candidates and where they should land, No. 4: Reynaldo Lopez to the Rangers
The Texas Rangers are one of the surprising teams of this year. They have longed for starting pitching, and they prioritized it this past offseason, bringing in Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. Even with deGrom done for the year due to Tommy John surgery, the starting rotation is still stout. But one aspect that no one saw coming is how ridiculous their batting order would be performing so far this season, recording 434 runs and 675 hits through 71 games, both of which are major league highs.
If there is one area that the Rangers need to improve, it's the bullpen. Texas is near the bottom of the league in terms of ERA with 4.37 as of June 19, per Covers.com, ranking 22nd.
It's unknown if the White Sox will legitimately trade closer Liam Hendriks this season, who would be an option for the Rangers. But, the Rangers could pivot to other closers on the market. But, they can still add from the White Sox bullpen, and Reynaldo Lopez is a name they could target.
Lopez isn't having the greatest of seasons. In 33 games, Lopez recorded a 5.52 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, 38 strikeouts, 16 walks, eight holds, and four saves (eight opportunities).
So why should the Rangers add Lopez? Well, he'd provide some depth for them. Also, a change of scenery could do wonders for Lopez. It certainly would help that he ends up on a team that has no issues racking up hits and scoring runs.
MLB Rumors: 5 likeliest White Sox trade candidates and where they should land, No. 3: Keynan Middleton to the Rays
One area of need that plenty of teams look to bolster every trade deadline is the bullpen. That's a necessity, given that those looking to win a World Series can rely on them to enter high-pressure situations and help get out of an inning or out of a jam. Without those reliable options, a team could be toast and end up getting eliminated way earlier than they had expected.
The Tampa Bay Rays are easily the best team in baseball. They can hit, and they can pitch, both very well. That's great. But even with these "perfect teams," that won't stop them from stacking their depth chart. Given how tough the AL East division is, it would be wise of the Rays to add some bullpen help.
Luckily for them, they can get a good relief pitcher in Keynan Middleton, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end. This year, Middleton has a stellar 1.80 ERA, along with a 1.040 WHIP, three holds, one save, 32 strikeouts, and nine walks in 25.0 innings pitched (26 appearances).
When it comes to the relief options on the White Sox that are rentals, Middleton is easily the best.
MLB Rumors: 5 likeliest White Sox trade candidates and where they should land, No. 2: Mike Clevinger to the Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles went through their rebuild, in hopes of building a strong young team. In 2023, they are a legit postseason contender. Their top prospects like Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson have made it to the show, and general manager Mike Elias has built a quality all-around roster. For the first time in a long time, the Orioles are going to be buyers at the deadline.
One area of need could be the back end of their starting rotation. They don't have John Means, who suffered a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, specifically a left teres major strain. Other than that, they are getting decent-to-good outings from their starting rotation, but need to add a quality No. 5 starter.
Mike Clevinger is one of their two starting pitchers that are set to become free agents at the end of the season. Clevinger did sign a one-year, $14 million contract this past offseason, with a mutual option for 2024. If the White Sox don't gain ground on the Twins for first place in the division, Clevinger is a trade deadline candidate.
Through 12 starts this year, Clevinger recorded a 3.88 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, a 3-4 win-loss record, 53 strikeouts, and 26 walks in 62.2 innings pitched.
It doesn't have to be Clevinger, but the Orioles should be aiming for a pitcher to add to their rotation. The question is, how many of their top prospects are they willing to flip for a "win-now player?" Hence why we go with a depth pitcher in the rotation in Clevinger.
MLB Rumors: 5 likeliest White Sox trade candidates and where they should land, No. 1: Lucas Giolito to the Angels
This is the year for the Los Angeles Angels to swing for the fences at the trade deadline. All of the talk entering this season was, "Will the Angels trade away Shohei Ohtani?" That would have made for an interesting trade deadline. The thing is, the Angels are actually playing good baseball right now, and are not far behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West. So, Ohtani's not getting traded, even though he's a free agent this winter.
What has plagued the Angels for so many years was their lack of quality starting pitchers. This year, Ohtani is easily their best-starting pitcher, and it's not particularly close. Patrik Sandoval has a good ERA as of this writing. Tyler Anderson, who the Angels acquired from the Dodgers, hasn't played that well thus far. So, starting pitching is an obvious need at the deadline. If the White Sox sells, the Angels would be wise to inquire and acquire Lucas Giolito.
As the White Sox's No. 2 pitcher in the rotation this season, Giolito has recorded a 3.54 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, a 5-4 win-loss record, 89 strikeouts, and 28 walks in 86.1 innings (15 starts).
Giolito is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, so he is an obvious trade candidate who can fetch a return. The issue is, the Angels have one of the weakest farm systems in all of baseball, so they will have to work some magic to get a deal done. But, Giolito to the Angels makes perfect sense for a team that is looking to make a postseason push and ensure Ohtani re-signs with them after the season.