Chicago White Sox: Three prospects to trade for MLB help
The Chicago White Sox are trying to win. As we have seen across baseball over the past few seasons, teams that believe they can win the World Series will fill a hole at the trade deadline by trading away prospects. The Sox have plenty of prospects that they can sell off for help if a need presents itself down the road. They look like a complete roster right now but injuries, performance issues, or depth can be tested as a season goes on. These are three White Sox prospects to trade for MLB help:
The Chicago White Sox are lucky to have such a deep prospect pool.
77. player. 128. . OF. Chicago White Sox. Micker Adolfo
The Chicago White Sox has a loaded outfield. Eloy Jimenez is going to be the stud offensive left fielder. Luis Robert might be the best all-around player on the White Sox playing a premier defensive centerfield position. Adam Eaton is going to be the right fielder as well. They even have Adam Engel who can play all three outfield positions very well and can hit too. That is what makes Micker Adolfo an expendable piece.
If the White Sox wanted to include Adolfo in a package to acquire some help, they would be able to get away with it. He is a good young prospect who is 24 years old and could have some good baseball in him. If a team needed a fourth outfielder for a run they could even go after someone like Adolfo if they wanted. The most likely case, however, is a rebuilding team offloading a good MLB player for some prospects.
Adolfo is currently projected to play in the MLB this season. He is listed as the number eight prospect in the White Sox organization so it is clear that the league sees some potential in this player.
128. . SP. Chicago White Sox. Jonathan Stiever. 53. player
As you know, the Chicago White Sox has a lot of great pitchers. Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, Dylan Cease, and Garrett Crochet are going to be there for a very long time. Dallas Keuchel is locked in for a few more years and Lance Lynn will be there for a minimum of one year. That is a very nice group of pitchers with some current and future names. That level of talent makes some of the younger pitchers expendable while the MLB team tries to improve.
You started to see it already when the White Sox traded Dane Dunning in order to acquire Lynn. It makes sense to offload some of your prospects to get pieces that can help you win now. The White Sox window is wide open so it makes sense. This fact might make someone like Jonathan Stiever expendable. He is a phenomenal young pitcher that could be great one day.
The issue is that the White Sox might not be this good when he is ready to become a regular MLB starter or perhaps a star. He only made two starts in 2020 with the White Sox and he wasn’t all that good but we know the potential is there. There is a reason that he is listed as the number six prospect in the organization. However, he is one of six prospects in the top ten that are pitchers, and all but one are righties. If a deal involving Stiever helps their MLB roster in 2021 and beyond, they should consider it.
Gavin Sheets. 75. player. 128. . 1B. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are pretty set at first base for a while. They have Jose Abreu coming off an MVP season in 2020. In addition to that, he has been the best player on the White Sox since he arrived on the scene in 2014. In addition to Abreu, the White Sox has some other options at first base. For one, Yasmani Grandal showed that he can play some White Sox first base during the 2020 season. Now, there is no James McCann this year so that probably won’t happen quite as much.
However, there is Andrew Vaugh whose natural position is first base. He might mostly be a designated hitter while Abreu is in the mix but he is the guy long term. That leaves little room for Gavin Sheets who is a first baseman himself. That is why the White Sox would be wise to move him if it means getting some help at other positions for their MLB lineup.
Sheets is currently listed as the number nine prospect in the Chicago White Sox organization. That is good for the fourth-highest position-playing prospect but as mentioned before, he is the second first baseman. He does have the potential to be a good Major League Baseball player but the opportunity might not come with the White Sox.
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If an offer comes in for any of these guys in order for the White Sox to add a good MLB player, they should really consider it. They are a deeper organization than they have ever been and now it is time to start winning. They don’t want to completely sell off the farm but they are going to need to add more MLB talent as the years go. In the meantime, it will be important to draft well and be smart with international free agents to keep their organization deep.