Chicago White Sox: Three trade packages for Trevor Bauer
Trade One
The Chicago White Sox could really use a pitcher of Trevor Bauer’s caliber. In fact, every team in baseball needs a pitcher of this caliber. The White Sox might be able to make it happen if he was someone they wanted to bring over. He has plenty of experience dealing with Chicago as he has been in Cleveland for almost his whole career. He is on an expiring contract which makes his value worth a little less so the White Sox might be able to get away for not giving up as much.
If they made this trade, it would be the Reds adding a pretty good everyday player and a prospect for Bauer. Matthew Thompson is a right-handed pitcher that expects to be in the MLB by 2023. He is only 20 years old so he has a long way to go before he is truly ready.
As for Adam Engel, he is a really good defensive outfielder. His offense gets hot and cold but he is a premier bench guy on a winning team. If the White Sox keep him, he will often be in the outfield late in games which is valuable for a lot of teams trying to win. It wouldn’t be awesome to see him go for White Sox fans but for a pitcher like Bauer you have to.
Trade Two
This one might not feel like a whole lot of return for the Cincinnati Reds but it is easy to explain why. Bauer is on an expiring deal and the Reds are going nowhere this year. In a normal 162 game season, they would have plenty of time to come back and live up to expectations but that isn’t going to be the case this year. There is less than half of a season left now and they are way out of it. With Bauer on an expiring deal, his value isn’t as high as his talent level.
Nomar Mazara would go to the Reds and have yet another chance to redeem himself. He is a big kid with a lot of talent but he seems to always fail to reach expectations. The White Sox haven’t gotten what they were expecting from him when they brought him over from the Texas Rangers and the experiment seems to be a failure. There is still plenty of time for him to prove us wrong but if the Reds would take him in a deal like this, you do it without thinking about it.
Jake Burger is a former White Sox first-round draft pick. He has tremendous power in his swing but he hasn’t been able to develop because of injuries over the past few seasons. It feels like so many prospects have passed him along and made it tough to see him ever make this squad. If he went to the Reds organization to continue his development, he might really benefit from the opportunity.
Trade Three
The Chicago White Sox are pretty deep right now. They have a lot of players that they can use to help them win baseball games. They can use some of this depth to help get them another starter to help them into the playoffs. If they added a Trevor Bauer type pitcher to this rotation, they would be set. It wouldn’t cost a lot because of his contract status but they could absolutely try and convince him to stay if they do acquire him. He might realize what we already know about this team and its future.
If he was cool with signing an extension, then this deal would be really nice for them. Danny Mendick is a great utility infielder that can do it all. What has been surprising this season is the offense he has been able to produce this year.
Yermin Mercedes was one of the most entertaining players in all of baseball during Spring Training before it was all canceled. It really looked like he was going to make the team out of camp but then it was all for not. He didn’t make it after the COVID-19 pause ended but the future might be bright for him if he keeps working at it. If the White Sox could move him for a player of Bauer’s potential, however, they have to do it. He is a fun guy to root for but with the White Sox current catcher and outfielder situation, it is hard to ever see Mercedes getting regular playing time here.
Related Story. The White Sox need to avoid making a foolish trade. light
There is no proof to this idea that the White Sox would ever go for Bauer but you just never know. Based on the contract situation and where they are in the standings, you have to at least assume that they are taking calls on him. If they are, the White Sox would be wise to at least think about it.