Chicago White Sox: 4 relievers to trade for before deadline

Richard Rodriguez

The Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates can still be trade partners this year.

The White Sox missed out on the Adam Frazier deal but they can still hit up the Pirates line for a relief pitcher. It just so happens they have a closer that would be a great fit in the White Sox bullpen. Richard Rodriguez has a sparkling 2.83 ERA with an even more impressive 0.83 WHIP.

He throws almost exclusively fastballs and generates weak contact. He does not strike out a ton of hitters but his lack of walks cancels that out. Adding to his intrigue is that he is under contract through 2023. If he plays well for the White Sox he may be a nice arm to have in the bullpen while their contention window is open.

He is 31 years old and he hasn’t seen a drop off in statistics these past four seasons. In 2018, he had a 2.47 ERA. In 2020, he had a 2.82 mark. The Pirates are in prospect accumulation mode so they are trying to sell off whatever assets they can.

“Rich Rod” would be a great addition to the back end of the bullpen. With him and Kopech, that would be as strong a bridge to the ninth inning as any team in baseball.