3 risky Chicago White Sox trade packages for Juan Soto
The Chicago White Sox are a very good team. They should already be considered one of the legit powers in the American League. They will have a stranglehold on the American League Central Division for a few years while the other teams try to catch up.
Even if one of those teams does catch up, that doesn’t mean that the White Sox are going anywhere either. The playoffs are probably going to expand at some point so it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
Adding another elite player certainty wouldn’t hurt the team by any means, especially one that would fill a position of need. Right field is one of the major issues and there are a few different people that could fix this problem.
Juan Soto is one of the best outfielders in the game and he could make any team in the league better as he is one of the five best players in the league. His name comes up because he has been in the news lately for turning down a 13-year deal worth 350 million from the Washington Nationals.
That is a lot of money but there is a lot that goes into that decision of his. For one, he is a Scott Boras client which typically means the player will try to earn as much as possible. It also probably means that he doesn’t want to commit to a team that is in the early stages of the rebuilding phase.
The Chicago White Sox would be wise to consider Juan Soto if he is out there.
At 23 years old, he already brings World Series-winning experience along with outstanding ability. He came in second place for the NL MVP with his 7.1 WAR. In the unlikely scenario that he actually does become available on the trade block soon, the Chicago White Sox should absolutely consider him in a deal like this:
The Chicago White Sox would need to send a haul if they were acquiring Juan Soto.
The Chicago White Sox is a loaded organization right now. Their prospect system is one of the worst in the league but that is because they have had so much success graduating players to Major League Baseball. Eventually, the system will take a hit when that happens.
However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have the assets to trade if someone like Juan Soto became available. If the Nationals are sure he is going to leave, they will move him and get a haul. The White Sox has some pieces that can get that done.
Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets are each outstanding hitters that make an impact at the plate. They are each naturally first baseman which could help Washington’s depth there with the recent retirement of Ryan Zimmerman. Both of them have tremendous ceilings with their power as well.
Jared Kelley is one of the top pitching prospects in the White Sox organization. He came in the second round of the 2020 Draft and was considered to be a first-round talent because of his ability to throw hard.
He very well could become a rotation piece in the MLB and Washington could provide him with an opportunity a bit sooner than the White Sox. This would be one to consider for both sides if Soto’s decision required it.
The Chicago White Sox would have to give up some pieces they love here.
Michael Kopech has outstanding potential. He has dealt with some injuries and off-the-field things that led to a long layoff from 2018 to 2021 but he finally got back on the field in the spring of 2021. He was as good as we could have possibly expected and maybe even better.
He had a limited amount of innings coming out of the bullpen which was a bit strange because he is a starter but it proved to be a good idea. He was relied on to pick up some big outs in big games and he showed up. He used his nasty stuff to record lots of strikeouts.
Sending him to the Washington Nationals would be painful but you have to do so much to get a guy like Juan Soto in your lineup via trade. He would be one of the best players to ever be traded so it might cost someone like Kopech.
If he turned into the Cy Young level guy that we think he can be, nobody would be mad if Juan Soto was the return. Both sides might be winners in a deal like this if the White Sox took a step towards a World Series and the Nationals continued their rebuild.
Sending Yoelqui Cespedes and Micker Adolfo would be Washington hoping that each of them can reach their potential as they look for their future core. Once again, it would be tough for both sides as each is losing something it loves but if Soto wants out he has to be considered.
The Chicago White Sox can headline a trade like this with one of their stars.
Yoan Moncada is an extremely important player for the Chicago White Sox. He is the face of the rebuild as he headlined the return in the Chris Sale trade back in 2016. However, if the opportunity to get Juan Soto presents itself, you pretty much have to do whatever it takes to get him.
Sending Yoan Moncada back in this deal would be tough but it would be worth it. He can go there and play third base or even transition back to second base depending on their needs. He would provide them with a solid bat at the top of their order and stellar defense in the field.
Jake Burger and Colson Montgomery are both former first-round picks of the White Sox. Each of them has a tremendous chance to be impact players at the Major League level. Washington is looking for young players like that, especially if they can’t get Soto (who is also a really young player) signed.
Oscar Colas is the new White Sox prospect that they acquired in international free agency. He has all of the tools to be an impact player as well which should make him good trade bait if they ever have an opportunity for something big. He would make any team’s farm system better right away.
Of course, all of this comes from the fact that Soto denied a long-term deal worth 350 million dollars. The Nationals already let Bryce Harper walk for nothing so you would think that they don’t make that mistake twice. This time around they don’t have a World Series caliber team either. If this ever becomes a possibility, the White Sox better be involved.
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