Chicago White Sox: Final trade deadline day ideas

The Chicago White Sox are in a weird spot headed into the trade deadline. They have some decisions to make on trade deadline day.

The Chicago White Sox have some difficult decisions to make. They are a below-average baseball team right here in 2019, but there is a reason to believe they will take another big step in 2020. They have some game-breaking players at the top of the lineup and pitching rotation/bullpen but the depth on all fronts is scarce.

There are prospects and veterans who are out with an injury that should help out with that depth next year. Nobody is saying the White Sox are going to be World Series in 2020 but they could very well be a playoff team. That makes this year’s trade deadline very interesting for the White Sox.

The playoff contenders and even non-contenders, with the way the trade market has been so far this season, are going to be looking to add to their teams and building for the present and future. The Toronto Blue Jays traded Marcus Stroman to the New York Mets who are a bubble team at best and the Cleveland Indians are a playoff contender themselves but they traded their ace Trevor Bauer to their in-state counterpart and a non-playoff team, the Cincinnati Reds.

The three players that could get the most phone calls are Jose Abreu, Alex Colome, and Aaron Bummer. Abreu is a big bat that would look nice in the middle of any lineup in baseball. He is a high volume run producer and can help any team out in that category. Colome is a very good closer that can help any team looking for help in that department. Bummer is a very good middle relief pitcher that can help shut teams down to get to the final inning of the game and set up a good closer.

A team like the Boston Red Sox could use all three of those guys but in particular the two relief pitchers. Their bullpen is terrible and it has cost them many wins this season. They have one of the best offenses in baseball yet their bullpen can’t hold any lead. If they offered a nice package for both Bummer and Colome, it might be something worth considering for the White Sox. They have a recent history of making trades that heavily benefit both teams so maybe another one could materialize.

Any team that struggles to score runs might want to consider Jose Abreu. He has a slash line of .266/.304/.480 with 22 home runs and 72 RBIs. He is a guy who can drive in runs with great regularity. He is also hitting .296 with 48 RBIs with runners in scoring position this season. He comes up big at an elite clip when there is an opportunity for him. He is a guy that might get some interest if the White Sox actually want to move him.

The argument against trading any of them goes back to the expectations of 2020. There is a reason to believe that they will be a pretty good team next year with some arms coming back from injury, and the potential to see prospects like Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal make the jump to the Major Leagues. These three players would be great to have on a White Sox team that expects to win.

Losing Bummer and Colome would leave the bullpen with two major holes in it that would have to be filled by spring training. It is hard to build a bullpen and the White Sox might already have some good pieces for a 2020 bullpen. The same goes for Abreu as a hitter and leader on this team. He is the leader of this young team and he also produces. It is hard to find a guy who can do both of those things at an elite level. He wants to be in Chicago so an extension might be the way to go for him.

That is why if they were to trade one of these three players, it better be an offer that they can’t refuse. Otherwise, hold steady and be ready for 2020. This could be very interesting for White Sox fans so buckle up.