3 Oakland A’s for the White Sox to trade for not named Matt Chapman

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
4 of 4
Next
(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /

The Chicago White Sox are a team looking to take that next step. They could really use some help in a few different areas so that they can go from playoff favorites to World Series favorites over the next few years. There are a lot of different ways for the team to do that.

The Oakland Athletics are a team heading in the exact opposite direction. They have been good for a few years now but they are going to reload by selling off a lot of their good players. It won’t be long before they are good again because they are a smart team but it won’t be in 2022.

If the A’s actually go through with their firesale, they might move some really significant pieces. Matt Chapman is someone that is on the block and everybody in Major League Baseball would want him. If you exclude him from the conversation, however, the A’s have a lot of players that the White Sox could use as they load up for a deep playoff run.

We all know by now what the White Sox need to add to their lineup. They are desperate for a second baseman, a right fielder, and some extra pitching. The A’s might have some pieces that can help in certain areas on the diamond.

The Chicago White Sox could really use help and the Oakland A’s could provide it.

These two clubs have made trades before so you have to wonder if the White Sox will chime in on their pending yard sale. If they are, there are three players not named Matt Chapman for them to consider:

(Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

96. . 2B/OF. Oakland Athletics. Tony Kemp. 5. player

Tony Kemp would be an amazing addition to the Chicago White Sox roster.

There is a chance that Tony Kemp is the best-kept secret in all of baseball. He was very good for the Oakland A’s in 2021 and it is a shame that they wasted a great performance like this by just missing the playoffs. The A’s should trade him to a team that could use someone like that.

In 2021, he had a very solid year at the plate. He slashed .279/.382/.418 for an OPS of .800. He hit 8 home runs, had 37 RBIs, and 54 runs scored. All of this accumulated a WAR of 3.4 for him. It will be interesting to see if he could keep this up going into 2022.

If he were with the White Sox, he would have significant plate protection. The ideal spot for him in this lineup is as the nine-hitter. That would mean that guys like Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert, and Jose Abreu amongst others could be right after him depending on the day.

He would probably assume the role of being an everyday second baseman for them. They desperately need one so that Leury Garcia can go back to being a traditional utility man. Kemp can also play the outfield which could come in handy at certain points of the season. He is certainly a good A’s trade target for the White Sox to consider.

(Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

. SP. Oakland Athletics. Sean Manaea. 55. player. 96

The Chicago White Sox could really use some starting rotation help in 2022.

Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez, and Dallas Keuchel are all going to get their chance. We know who in that group will stick all season long and who needs to step up their game to be a part of things. Regardless of what happens, the White Sox needs more.

Every team in baseball needs pitching help, even a team as deep as the White Sox. The schedule, thanks to the lockout, is going to be a little bit more condensed thanks to the lockout so adding as much starting pitching help as possible is going to be very important.

Sean Manaea is someone for them to consider. He was part of a very good Oakland A’s pitching staff in 2021 but they are tearing it all down. He is someone that could land the A’s a nice prospect from a team like the White Sox who could really use an arm like this.

In 2021, he was good. He had an ERA of 3.91 with a WHIP of 1.227. Those aren’t superstar numbers but they are pretty good numbers. He is certainly an upgrade over some of the current options that the White Sox have for the fifth spot.

He generated a lot of strikeouts and made all 32 of his starts so you know he would fit right in on this team. With the White Sox, instead of being as relied on as he was in Oakland, he would be a part of this unit that works together to get the job done well.

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

40. player. 96. . SP. Oakland Athletics. Chris Bassitt

The Chicago White Sox need to right one of the worst trades they ever made.

In 2014, the Chicago White Sox traded Chris Bassitt and Marcus Semien amongst a couple of other players to the Oakland A’s in exchange for Jeff Samardzija and Michael Ynoa. It was a disaster of a trade as Semien is a perennial MVP contender and Bassitt is one of the best pitchers in the American League.

Well, Semien signed a big free agent ticket with the Texas Rangers before the lockout ended so he is away from the White Sox forever. However, Bassitt is someone that the White Sox can pry away from the A’s for the right price. He would totally be worth acquiring if the A’s were willing to deal him as we think they will be.

Bassitt came in 10th for the American League Cy Young in 2021 and 8th in 2020. He is literally one of the best pitchers in the league and would fit in well on this White Sox team. With Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, and the potential of Michael Kopech, that rotation could be the best in the league.

This trade would feel good for a few different reasons. For one, the White Sox would be adding an elite pitcher that they desperately need. The other reason is that they would be somewhat fixing a horrible trade that they made while they were trying (and failing) to win in 2014.

The A’s are probably going to sell off a lot of these guys in the coming months or even days but that doesn’t mean that the White Sox will be involved. However, they probably should be based on some of the names that are available.

3 free agent pitchers for the White Sox to consider signing. light. Related Story

Next