
Patrick Corbin – this one may be a little surprising, but the White Sox have been connected to him, and he is the best pitcher on the market with Clayton Kershaw having re-upped with the Dodgers. If the White Sox were to get him it could prove they were moving towards contending and could help their pitch for Harper or Machado. The White Sox, in general, need starting pitching very badly for 2019, although the Yankees may be a better match for Corbin.
J.A. Happ – Another veteran pitcher the White Sox have been connected to, this one makes a lot of sense, given that with his experience he could lead a staff of young pitchers. At 36, the Northwestern alumni and Illinois native is still good too, winning 17 games and putting up a 3.4 WAR last season.
Michael Brantley – the White Sox have reportedly offered him a contract already. It would be a great way to gain ground on the Cleveland Indians by taking one of their players and putting him with a division rival. It’s hard to know how this plays into the pursuit for Harper though. In the unlikely event Harper and Brantley are both on the 2019 White Sox, the outfield could have Brantley and Eloy Jimenez in corner outfield positions, and Harper playing centerfield. In any case, acquiring Brantley means that Avisail Garcia is almost certainly gone.