At the start of 2019, the White Sox had the MLB’s fourth best farm system. Luis Robert Jr, Michael Kopech, Andrew Vaughn, and Dylan Cease were supposed to be the final pieces to a team that had not been .500 since 2012. Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson had been waiting for help for multiple years at this point. However, it is time to face the truth: this was a failed rebuild.
Before we discuss this upcoming trade deadline, let’s acknowledge that the Sox had two winning seasons with this core. But this season is looking to be another failure, while the Sox are still supposed to be World Series contenders. Their payroll ranks 12th in the MLB, while their record is the sixth worst. This team has been cursed with injuries, but we need to acknowledge when it is time to move on from this core and send the team into another rebuild. Here are five Sox names we could see in different uniforms in less than a month.
The obvious is Lucas Giolito. Earlier this season, the White Sox announced that they would not be bringing him back for next season. He is due to be a UFA and his numbers have been horribly inconsistent over his 5 years. In 2018, he started 32 games and had an ERA over 6, then followed it up by coming in 6th place in the Cy Young Voting during 2019. He has a 3.50 ERA this year, and could be the third arm in the rotation for any World Series contender. The Angels are in need of another starter, especially after Shohei Ohtani exited Tuesday’s start with a blister on his finger.
Next, let’s discuss the Sox’ top reliever Keynan Middleton. Once the Angel’s future closer, Middleton is most often used as a 7th inning reliever for the Sox. He holds a 2.70 ERA entering July. He would be a middle-to-late inning asset for any team needing bullpen help; especially because he will be a UFA this winter. Watch for the Rangers to be particularly aggressive. They will need the bullpen help in the playoffs to support the stellar offense they have built.
The closest to a closer for the Sox, Kendall Graveman has easily been the best replacement until Liam Hendriks returns. The 32 year-old has a 2.92 ERA with a 2.61 ERA when pitching in the ninth inning. The White Sox would be hesitant to move him considering they still have another year of control, but Texas may seek a package of Middleton and Graveman. The Sox could get a nice package for the combo of both.
Joe Kelly throughout his career has been an up-and–down reliever to put it simply. There have been managers like Mike Matheny and Dave Roberts who have been able to help him execute. However many, including Tony La Russa and Pedro Grifol, have not helped anyone’s situation. This season, he carries a 4.82 ERA this season with a $9M annual value. He has a club option available after this season. A reunion with the Dodgers‘ Dave Roberts would be interesting. Roberts was able to limit Kelly’s ERA to under 3 the last two seasons they were together. Kelly has won two World Series, one with the Red Sox in 2018, and one with the Dodgers in 2020. This Dodgers team is much younger and has less playoff experience than we have seen in years past. Kelly’s playoff experience and former success with Roberts could help the Dodgers win the division for the tenth time in eleven seasons.
This is a huge long shot that definitely won’t happen. But what if the White Sox traded their All-Star Luis Robert Jr? WAR considers him the second best center fielder in the MLB, and the fourth best player in the MLB right now. The trade value behind Robert unmatched by anyone else in this organization. He is 25 years old, has 25 home runs, 49 RBI, and a .916 OPS before the trade deadline. He also can be kept until after 2027 using the club-options that are available. Durability has always remained the question, as he has never eclipsed a 100 game season. But would Robert like to be apart of the young Guardians team? The Dodgers could also be open to sending a few of their prospects for him. Would the Angels act in desperation after Mike Trout‘s injury? Robert has never been one to put in full effort on a losing team, and I doubt he will want to stick with this team for his career. It is worth listening to teams offers.
Second City Sports 