With the MLB All-Star Game in the books and the trade deadline just days away, Major League Baseball teams have shifted focus to deadline deals. The Rafael Devers blockbuster set the tone, but only a few smaller deals have happened since then.
This past week, a trade went down involving two pitchers who spent significant time with the Chicago White Sox.
The Texas Rangers traded RHP Dane Dunning to the Atlanta Braves for RHP Jose Ruiz and cash considerations.
Dane Dunning with the White Sox
Dunning, 30, was originally acquired by the White Sox with Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez in the trade that sent outfielder Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals.
A former first-round pick of the Nationals, Dunning made his big league debut for the White Sox in 2020, starting 7 regular season games in the shortened season and holding opponents to a .197 batting average.
Dunning showed a lot of promise in his rookie year, with a 3.97 ERA in his first taste of the Major Leagues, but the White Sox sent him in a trade to Texas for RHP Lance Lynn before the 2021 season.
Dane Dunning had success in Texas
Dunning was mostly solid during his time with the Rangers, starting 95 games and making 122 appearances in parts of five seasons from 2021-2025.
With a 4.36 career ERA in Texas, Dunning had his worst season of his career in 2024 (5.31 ERA), leading to him being designated for assignment before the 2025 season. Dunning went unclaimed and was assigned to Triple-A. He had been up for a couple MLB stints this season, throwing just 10.2 big league innings before being traded to Atlanta.
The Braves will give Dunning a fresh start. He is under control for one more year and will be a free agent at age 32 after the 2026 season.
Jose Ruiz with the White Sox
On the flip side of the deal is RHP Jose Ruiz. Ruiz, also 30, was originally signed by the San Diego Padres as a catcher in 2011.
After a few years in the minor leagues, Ruiz made the switch to pitching in 2016 and made his big league debut for the Padres in 2017, but pitching in just one game.
Ruiz was placed on waivers and claimed by the White Sox before the 2018 season, where he spent parts of six seasons in the bullpen (2018-2023).
The story for Ruiz with the White Sox was always big stuff with spotty control. His best season came in 2021, when he posted a 3.05 ERA in 59 appearances out of the Sox bullpen and contributed to the division championship team.
An abysmal start to the 2023 season marked the end of Ruiz’s tenure in Chicago, and he was traded to Arizona, where he only lasted 3 months before being released.
Ruiz has bounced around since leaving Chicago
Ruiz signed a minor league deal with the Phillies before 2024 and was called up in May. He posted a respectable 3.71 ERA in 52 appearances for Philadelphia last season.
Just when it looked like Ruiz had figured things out, another brutal start to the season led to the Phillies placing him on waivers, where he was claimed by Atlanta. He has now been traded to the Rangers after two appearances with the Braves.
Ruiz has been in the league for awhile for a guy who is only 30, and he will look to prove that he can be a valuable reliever for someone.
The chances of Dunning or Ruiz being a game changer for Texas or Atlanta are not very high, but it’s always fun to follow the careers of former White Sox players, and it’s not very often that two of them are traded for each other.
It’ll be interesting to see if either of them can establish themselves as mainstays at the big league level in their new homes.