1 player from each NL Central team for the White Sox to trade for

Pittsburg Pirates

The Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates would make great trade partners.

The Pirates have been having a yard sale for the past couple of seasons. After making the playoffs in 2015, they have traded away Gerrit Cole, Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Charlie Morton, Tyler Glasnow, Neil Walker, Mark Melancon, Francisco Liriano, Daniel Hudson, Josh Bell, Joe Musgrove, Jameson Taillon, and Adam Frazier.

All talent has been sold off and the roster reduced to scraps. The fire sale will likely continue once the lockout ends.

On a contending team, you can never have enough pitching. Chris Stratton is a solid reliever on the Pirates that could be a great addition to the White Sox bullpen. If Ryan Tepera leaves in free agency then Stratton could be a viable replacement.

The right-hander has quietly been an effective weapon out of the Pirates bullpen over the past couple of seasons. In 2021, he posted a 3.63 ERA in 79.1 innings. He also logged eight saves. The previous year he owned a 3.90 mark and opponents hit just .224 off of him.

Stratton is 31-years old with two years of team control. A cellar dweller like the Pirates has no need for his services since he is not viewed as a key piece. He also won’t be too expensive to trade for since he is a middle reliever.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs and White Sox have proven that they can make trades in recent years.

Do you think we could get a redo on the Nick Madrigal trade? Not shot. However, the Cubs do have some players the White Sox could be interested in such as David Bote.

The Cubs’ infield depth is crowded with Madrigal and Nico Hoerner at second base, Patrick Wisdom and Christopher Morel at third base, and Sergio Alcántara at shortstop.

Making a trade with the Cubs will be difficult because the Cubs are in young talent acquisition mode. The White Sox farm system is thin. However, trading for Bote is a possibility because of the Cub’s depth chart. Madrigal figures to be their starting second baseman which should slot everybody into a good spot.

Bote would provide flexibility as a utility player or serve as the White Sox everyday second baseman. His best season came in 2019 when he hit .257 with a .784 OPS. He is coming off a down year in 2021, only playing in 97 games.

With slim pickings on the second-base market, he is the only player that is realistic to trade for. However, resorting to David Bote would be a desperate move from White Sox brass. They may be better off with Leury Garcia at second base.

Cincinnati Reds

The Chicago White Sox might be smart to look at the Cincinnati Reds for trades.

The White Sox are still looking for a second baseman. The free agency market looks bleak. It just so happens the Reds have a former All-Star who appears to be on the trade block in Mike Moustakas.

With the emergence of Jonathan India and Engenio Suárez along with Asdrúbal Cabera holding down third base and shortstop, Moustakas’s presence on the roster is no longer needed.

He also has the second most expensive contract on the team with two years left on his $64 million deal. The Reds would like to move off of if they can get a good return.

Moustakas is coming off a bad statistical season, mainly due to a campaign hampered by injuries. He was limited to 62 games slashing .208/.282/.372. This is a major drop from his usual production at the plate.

From 2015-to 2020, he slashed .262/.326/.490. He also appeared in three All-Star games and was a part of the Kansas City Royals core that won the World Series in 2015.

That championship experience could come in handy on a White Sox team looking to get over the top. It would also fit a trend of battle-tested playoff veterans that Rick Hahn has brought in such as Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, and Lance Lynn.

Moustakas also has great power from the left-hand side of the plate and the White Sox have experienced it first hand when he was a member of the Royals. He had 38 home runs in 2017 and 35 in 2019.

Because Moustakas is coming off of a bad season, his trade value is low. His 0.4 fWAR was the worst of his career. It is a good time for the White Sox to gauge the Red’s interest because they could get him at a discounted price. However, the Reds may hold onto him in an attempt to raise his trade value.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals are a team that could use something from the Chicago White Sox.

The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen ranked 11th in baseball last season. However, it could get even better with the edition of Craig Kimbrel. They do not have a reliable closer at the moment.

Alex Reyes struggled and Jordan Hicks is incredibly injury prone. With a team that has potent offensive weapons in Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, the Cardinals want to capitalize on their contention window. Adding an arm like Kimbrel could help push them over the top.

There isn’t much on the major league level that the Cardinals would be willing to trade that would help the White Sox. A player the White Sox should inquire about is Paul DeJong. The Cardinals have not made any indication that they are ready to move off of DeJong.

However, it is worth an ask for multiple reasons. DeJong’s numbers have dipped since his outstanding rookie campaign. Since 2020, he is slashing an ugly .213/.295/.378.

Near the end of the season, a chunk of his playing time went to Edmundo Sosa. The Cardinals also used Sosa in the must-win Wild Card game. On top of that, the Cardinal’s top-rated prospect Nolan Gorman is waiting in the wings and expected to make his debut next season. All of these factors make DeJong tradeable.

While DeJong is a shortstop, he has played 20 games at second base. He is an excellent fielder so he should be able to make the switch to second base if needed. According to Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, DeJong is an above-average defender.

DeJong also hit 30 home runs in 2019 and batted .285 in 2017 so the offensive upside is there. A change of scenery along with improved lineup protection could be just what DeJong needs to return to form.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers and White Sox could probably make a swap this year.

Like the White Sox, the Milwaukee Brewers are in contention mode. The Brewers lacked power in 2021 and the White Sox need a right fielder.

Perhaps the White Sox could entice the Brewers with Gavin Sheets for Lorenzo Cain. This could benefit both teams. The White Sox already has plenty of pop with Eloy Jimenez, Yasmani Grandal, Jose Abreu, and Luis Robert. They need an everyday right fielder. The Brewers need guys that hit the ball out of the ballpark.

Cain is a former Gold-Glove winner and two-time All-Star with championship pedigree. He won the World Series with the Royals in 2015 and took home the ALDS MVP.

Cain has an excellent range, which could help the White Sox make up for Eloy Jimenz’s defensive deficiencies. He led the American League in range factor in 2017 and 2015. In 2019, Cain had the highest fielding percentage amongst all National League center fielders.

While he is up there in age he is still able to steal bases. He stole 13 in 2021, 18 in 2019, and 30 in 2018. The White Sox could use more speed on the basepaths.

Offensively, his numbers have dipped but he is still sufficient. He hit .257 in 2021 but has hit .300 or better six times during his career.

It would be a risky move for the White Sox because Cain is already 35 years old and one the final year of his contract. However, if Cain is healthy it could be a gamble worth taking.