The Chicago White Sox are quietly becoming one of the best trading partners in the MLB.
Roster depth, a highly-ranked farm system with top prospects, and quality starters are the hallmarks of a great trading team. Within one year, the Sox have deepened their 40-man roster and leapt from 20th to ESPN’s second-best farm system.
Chicago has also added starters with higher talent floors, allowing them to create a balanced starting lineup and rotation with more instead of concentrating aptitude within a few positions.
Locked and loaded with skilled players within all levels of the league, the Sox are primed to be one of the most active trade partners in the first half of the season.
Here are the Sox’s two biggest trade chips...
Joey Gallo
The Sox’s latest minor league signing may now be their most tradable player.
Gallo has gained an all or nothing reputation in the league. His powerful lefty swing is capable of knocking balls out of the park is hard to find, but his high strikeout rate and streakiness at the plate make him unpredictable.
Gallo’s 10-year career .194 batting average and .456 slugging percentage emulate his plate inconsistencies. As long as Gallo at least hits above the Mendoza line (preferably over .225), the Sox can leverage his defensive accolades to strike a decent trade.
While he hasn't been the most impressive hitter, Gallo is a great defender.
As a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, Gallo ranked first in fielding percentage, total zone runs, range factor per nine innings, range factor per game, and putouts among AL right fielders in 2020. Even though he slashed .161/.277/.336, the Sox can entice teams in with Gallo’s defense alone.
If the Sox don’t intend to use Gallo as a starter or backup at first base over Andrew Vaughn or in right field over Mike Tauchman, they should trade him.
It would be a shame to watch Gallo play in Triple-A Charlotte all year, and only needs a few tweaks to gain plenty of trade interest from teams looking for a midsummer position upgrade.
2. Kyle Teel
Teel is one of the most tradable prospects in the Sox organization and in baseball.
Ranked the Sox’s fourth-best prospect according to Baseball America and MLB’s third best catching prospect,
Teel is a solid hitter. He spent most of 2024 in Double-A with the Red Sox, where he batted .299/.390/.462 and stole 60 bases over 84 games. His production slipped a bit when was promoted to Triple-A, but Teel still finished the year with a .288/.386/.433 slash line and 78 stolen bases.
Teel also has the attributes of a great catcher. He has a strong arm that allows him to make accurate throws to pick off and check runners. Teel also moves well behind the plate and can block balls and has a solid pitch framing foundation.
Teel is comparable to Adley Rutschman and, with enough maturity and growth, he has the potential to play similarly to J.T. Realmuto.
In the rare instance that Teel doesn’t usurp Matt Thaiss as the backup catcher this year, the Sox should heavily consider moving Teel.
As hard as it would be to trade Teel months after acquiring him, the Sox have more trade options and they could get a better return for Teel than if they deal Edgar Quero. And in a league where equally balanced offensive and defensive catchers are hard to find, the Sox shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get a haul in return for Teel.