3 internal solutions if White Sox don't pursue bullpen help at MLB trade deadline

As the calendar flips to July, the MLB trade deadline is just over a month away. Most teams are primarily focused on the draft on July 11th, but by now, most teams have a pretty good idea of their needs and whether they’ll be buyers or sellers. The White Sox enter July with a two-game lead in the AL Central, no doubt looking to buy. Their biggest need is pitching, both in the rotation and in the bullpen. Just how aggressive they’ll be, however, is not yet known, so it’s possible the White Sox roll with internal options in the pen. If they do, here are a few that could be a factor. 

RHP Wikelman Gonzalez

With Braden Montgomery now in the big leagues and Kyle Teel back from injury, three of the four players the White Sox landed in the Garrett Crochet trade are contributing to the big league roster. The lone pitcher in the deal, Wikelman Gonzalez moved to the bullpen in 2025 and made his major league debut for the White Sox that same year, posting a 2.66 ERA in 16 games. The 24-year-old began the 2026 season in Charlotte, where he got off to a very strong start before a lat strain landed him on the shelf in late April. Gonzalez returned to action this month, making two rehab appearances with the ACL White Sox and two with High-A Winston-Salem before his return to Charlotte Tuesday night. Overall, Gonzalez has posted a 2.40 ERA in 12 appearances for the Knights with 20 strikeouts and just five walks. He should certainly be in the mix to get major league innings over the next few weeks. 

RHP Peyton Pallette

It hasn’t been the smooth past couple years White Sox fans envisioned for Peyton Pallette, but the two sides have come back together and will hope to make things work better this time. Pallette, a second-round pick by the White Sox in 2022, began his career as a starter, but control issues forced a move to the pen in 2024. An excellent showing in Birmingham in 2024 and 2025 had White Sox fans thinking Pallette could be a future late-inning reliever, but he struggled in Charlotte to close 2025 and the White Sox ultimately lost him to Cleveland in the Rule 5 draft. After control issues surfaced during his big league stint, the Guardians offered him back to the White Sox at the end of May, and he was assigned back to Triple-A Charlotte. Pallette has been very solid in his return to the White Sox organization, posting a 2.45 ERA in June, and seven of his eight June appearances have been scoreless. If he can reign in the walks, he could be a valid option, who now has big league experience, for the White Sox pen. 

RHP Jairo Iriarte

On the next episode of White Sox pitching prospects you forgot about: I present Jairo Iriarte. Acquired in the deal that sent Dylan Cease to the Padres, Iriarte fit into the profile of having excellent stuff that he had trouble commanding. He worked as a starter during his first year in the organization in 2024 and ultimately appeared in the big league bullpen at the end of the season. The walks remained a problem, though, and Iriarte’s 2025 season was nothing short of a disaster. He was pulled from game action and sent to Arizona to work on his mechanics, but didn’t see a change in results upon his return, and he finished the season with a 7.13 ERA. The White Sox designated Iriarte for assignment this offseason and removed him from the 40-man roster, though he went unclaimed and remained in the organization. Though the command is still an issue, the results have been better in 2026 for Iriarte. The 24-year-old has a 1.89 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A, with 41 strikeouts in 38 innings. Should he continue to see positive results, the White Sox could give him another chance to earn a bullpen spot.

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