1 player from each AL West team for the White Sox to trade for
As the MLB lockout trudges along Chicago White Sox fans are forced to sit idly by to wait and see if Rick Hahn will make any upgrades. Spring training is creeping up and holes at second base and right field remain.
Once the work stoppage ends, the best way for Hahn to address these needs may be via the trade market. Today we will visit the American League West and see one trade the White Sox could potentially make with each team in the division.
The American League West has an interesting mix of teams on the cusp of contending such as the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angeles along with a true contender in the Houston Astros. Meanwhile, the Oakland Athletics are holding a garage sale and the Texas Rangers are on a spending spree, desperately trying to become relevant again.
Last season the Astros took home the division crown but it wasn’t without some resistance. The Seattle Mariners shocked everyone and finished just five games back and nearly sneaked into the postseason. This offseason, they added AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray and are making a strong push to acquire Kris Bryant.
Oakland finished third with a 86-76 record in what was yet another disappointing season. The Angels boasted AL MVP Shohei Ohtani but that was about all they had going for them as Mike Trout went down with an injury and the Halos once again found themselves with a losing record.
Predictably, the Rangers rounded out the pack in last place. However, they dug deep into their pockets to acquire Kyle Seager and Marcus Semien this offseason. Will it make them contenders? No, but it certainly makes them more intriguing to watch.
The Chicago White Sox could consider a few players from each AL West team.
It is a diverse mix of teams. Some will be much more willing to become trading partners with the White Sox than others but they all have assets that could help them. The question is what will it take to get them?
Oakland A’s
The Chicago White Sox and Oakland A’s can make a trade to bring a friend back.
The Oakland A’s are the most obvious trade partner for the Chicago White Sox. They are selling off all of their assets and the White Sox are trying to get over the top in the American League.
The name that jumps off the page is Matt Chapman. The 2019 All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner is one of the best third basemen in the American League. The A’s have made it known he is on the trade market.
However, with Yoan Moncada entrenched at third base, it is unlikely the White Sox shift him back to second, especially considering his best offensive seasons have come at third base.
The A’s have made Chris Bassitt available and the White Sox need starting pitching depth. Micheal Kopech has been moved into the starting rotation but he will likely be on an innings restriction. Dallas Keuchel has been extremely inconsistent and was not included on the playoff roster which would make Bassitt a good fit in Chicago.
Bassitt was drafted by the White Sox in 2011 in the 16th round of the MLB draft. He actually pitched six games for the White Sox in 2014 before he was traded in a trade for Jeff Samardzija. That was definitely a trade the White Sox would like to have back.
For his career, Bassitt owns a respectable 3.47 ERA in 555.2 innings of work. He also has 504 strikeouts and a 31-25 record.
Last season, he posted a 3.15 ERA in 157.1 innings. He racked up 159 strikeouts and had a 1.06 WHIP. He was named an American League All-Star for the first time in his career for his efforts. He was arguably the ace of the A’s staff last season.
Add him to a White Sox rotation where he would be the third starter and the White Sox will boast one of the scariest rotations in baseball.
Los Angeles Angeles
The Chicago White Sox could take a few different players away from the Angels.
The Angles are looking to make a postseason run after adding Noah Syndergaard to the rotation. When you have two of the game’s best players in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani there is no reason not to.
But when the Angels inevitably underperform once again they could be deadline sellers. If that is the case, David Fletcher would be a great acquisition for the White Sox assuming they don’t add an infielder and roll out Leury Garica as their everyday second baseman.
Fletcher can hit for average and would balance out a White Sox lineup full of power hitters. He brings the element of speed on the basepaths which the White Sox desperately need. Last season, Fletcher stole 15 bases.
He is a career .281 hitter. His worst season came in 2021 when he hit .262. However, before that, he hit .275, .290, and .319. He is a pretty smooth fielder as well. In four seasons, he has made just nine errors.
Fletcher is also versatile. His primary position is second base but he can also play shortstop, third base, right field, and left field. He is not the most glamorous name out there but he could fill a need for the White Sox.
Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox have made a few trades recently.
The Rangers seem to be in talent acquisition mode so swinging a deal with them may be difficult. However, with the addition of Marcus Semien, Nick Solak could be an option.
The 27-year old Solak is a local boy, born in Woodridge, Illinois. Last season he hit .242, with 11 home runs, 49 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. He opened the season on a tear, carrying an OPS north of .900 into May. Unfortunately, he fell into a long slump and was demoted in July.
When he returned to the lineup in August, he hit .371 for the month. Solak has proven to be a streaky hitter overall and will need to find some sort of consistency at the plate. He has only played in 218 MLB games so there is still time for him to develop.
As the 62nd overall pick in the 2016 draft, there is plenty of talent there. He just hasn’t seemed to be able to reach his full potential in Arlington. A change of scenery may do him some good.
He is a solid fielder overall, only making six errors at second base in three seasons. He can also play third base, left field, and center field if need be.
The Rangers have no need for him and the White Sox need a second baseman so he could be worth taking a look at. At the very least he could be a useful player off the bench for the White Sox.
Seattle Mariners
The Chicago White Sox have had their eye on a few different Seattle Mariners.
The Seattle Mainers have good depth in the outfield and are looking to add more in the form of Kris Bryant. Paul Sewald has launched a full-blown recruiting campaign. To acquire him the Mariners are going to need to dig deep into their pockets and pull out a big check.
Top prospect, Julio Rodriguez is knocking on the door of the big leagues. Many have Rodriguez listed as one of the game’s top ten prospects including MLB.com and Baseball America.
Seattle also has Jarred Kelenic, who got his feet wet in the big leagues last season. He struggled last season but finished his rookie campaign strong and is looking to build off of it in 2022. Meanwhile, the Mariners also have Kyle Lewis, who was named 2020 Rookie of the Year over Luis Robert as well as depth pieces in the form of Jake Fraley and Dylan Moore.
All of these factors make right fielder, Mitch Haniger a viable trade option for the White Sox. Haniger is coming off an excellent season. The 31-year old belted a career-high 39 home runs. He also drove in 100 RBIs and had a .803 OPS.
Most encouraging was that he was healthy for the full season. Haniger had a career-high 691 plate appearances. He has been injury-prone over the past couple of seasons, undergoing four surgeries.
Haniger is set to become a free agent next season, and with the exciting prospects waiting in the wings and the possibility of adding Kris Bryant, there is no reason to resign him to a huge deal. After a career year, Haniger’s value is at an all-time high. The Mariners have shown no intention of extending him.
While it is easy to see Haniger returning to the middle of the Mariners lineup next season, the team would be wise to capitalize and get something in return for him before he likely departs in free agency after this season.
Haniger would be a great fit in the White Sox lineup. He is a right fielder with power that will play well in Guaranteed Rate Field. With extra lineup protection on the south side, he would be in line for another massive year if the White Sox could pull off a trade.
Houston Astros
The Chicago White Sox needs to end up getting better than the Houston Astros.
The odds of these two teams engaging in any sort of trades during the next year are slim to none. They have no reason to. For starters, both teams are rivals in the American League. The Astros disposed of the White Sox in five games during the ALDS. The White Sox are trying to find a way to surpass them.
The White Sox’s biggest need is at second base. The Astros are not going to trade Jose Altuve. Neither team is going to want to strengthen the other.
Both teams are trying to add talent so prospects do neither team any good at this point. If a trade were to happen it would be for a small role player. The best candidate for this would be someone like Aledmys Díaz.
Díaz is the backup second baseman behind Jose Altuve. Last year he hit .259 with 8 home runs, 45 RBIs, and a .722 OPS. At the age of 31, he is not in the Astros’ long-term plans.
He is a lifetime .271 hitter so he has proven that he can put the ball in play. He only played in 84 games so the White Sox may roll the dice and allow him to become a full-time starter. However, the odds of this happening are extremely unlikely.
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