White Sox Sell-Off has Started

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July 29, 2023

The Chicago White Sox‘ sell-off has started. They will be looking to add prospects to help build this organization for the future. Their farm system is currently ranked No. 26 according to MLB.com. They will add both pitching and position players with the vision of contending sooner rather than later.

Start of Many

The start of many trades began this past Wednesday when starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo Lopez were traded to the Los Angeles Angels. The move for Giolito, who is considered the best pitcher on the trade market happened quickly. For Lopez, whose fastball regularly hits 100 mph, the trade gives him a chance to find himself with a new organization. They quickly followed that up by sending pitchers Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

What they Get

The White Sox sell-off is under way, and they have also picked up two players, with bright futures. Left-handed pitcher Ky Bush and catcher Edgar Quero both have been assigned to Double-A Birmingham. Rated by MLB.com as the No. 65 overall prospect in baseball, Quero is considered the top player in this deal. He is a switch-hitting catcher with a strong feel for the strike zone. He also has a 25% caught-stealing rate, which is excellent at the minor league level.

Quero has the potential to be a very good major league catcher both offensively and defensively. The southpaw Bush has battled injuries, and has struggled since being drafted. But both he and the team are hoping a new organization will get him going. In baseball, you can never have enough left-handed pitchers in your organization.

Kelly and Lynn Deal

The Sox also picked up several players in the Kelly and Lynn deal including pitcher Trayce Thompson, who was drafted by the White Sox in the second round of the 2009 draft. He made his major league debut with the franchise in 2015, but has since played for eight organizations. This is his third time with the “south siders.”

They also acquired Jordan Leasure and Nick Nastrini, both pitchers with an upside. Leasure had a 3.09 ERA in 29 relief appearances for Double-A Tulsa while posting 56 strikeouts in 35 innings. He has the potential to be a long reliever at the big league level. Nastrini is seen as a top pitching prospect. In 17 starts, he has 85 strikeouts in 72 2/3 innings. His fastball hits the mid-90’s, and can get hitters out with an above average slider. Nastrini does have an issue with command that he needs to get under control. If he succeeds with that, he will be a good addition to the rotation.

Rebuild

After winning the AL Central in 2021, and 2022, expectations were high for the White Sox. They were considered a World Series contender, but finished 81–81. The 2023 season was supposed to be a rebound year with expectations of a playoff spot and a strong starting staff. However, a 7–20 record in April put them in a deep hole and a 5–15 July has them looking to add as many prospects as they can while they have the talent to trade.

This might become a very busy trade deadline for everyone involved with the White Sox. They are certainly headed toward a rebuild even though they have not said they are. Other players such as shortstop Tim Anderson, pitcher Dylan Cease, and first-baseman Andrew Vaughn could be on the trade block as well. Right now, the only thing fans can do is sit back and wait for the next moves to see who they lose and who they get in return.