3 temptations the White Sox should avoid at the 2026 trade deadline

With a week and a half to go before the August 3rd trade deadline, the mood around the league can best be described as “the calm before the storm”. Activity has surely picked up since the draft concluded, but no major deals have been made yet, and a handful of teams are still deciding on a direction. For the White Sox, the needs are pretty clear: starting rotation help, bullpen help, and a catcher to replace the injured Kyle Teel. With plenty of options out there, general manager Chris Getz has his fair share of choices. But not all available options are worth pursuing for the White Sox. Here are three players I believe the White Sox should avoid at the price. 

RHP Brady Singer

Rumors have swirled this week about the White Sox possible interest in Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson, and some have speculated that the deal could also include right-hander Brady Singer, who is set to hit free agency following the season. Though he’s been better as of late, I don’t think Brady Singer represents the kind of upgrade the White Sox should be looking for in their rotation. His 4.53 ERA is worse than every White Sox starter except Noah Schultz, and he wouldn’t be the kind of arm that they could confidently start in a playoff game. His xERA of 5.01 is even worse, and he doesn’t miss enough bats or limit hard contact enough to be effective. As an impending free agent, Singer would undoubtedly be had for an affordable price, but I’m hoping the White Sox shoot a bit higher, because they need more than just someone who can eat some innings. If the White Sox want to add Brady Singer to stabilize the back half of their rotation for the end of the season, I don’t mind it, but if he’s the only starting pitcher they add, it’ll be an underwhelming trade deadline. 

RHP Mason Miller 

The other day, I posted a mock trade that would send Padres superstar closer Mason Miller to the White Sox for a haul of prospects. Miller, 27, enters Friday with a 0.86 ERA and .147 opponent batting average. He’s a perfect 25-for-25 in saves this season, and there’s little doubt that he’s currently the best closer in baseball. As incredible as it would be to add Miller to the mix (the White Sox would have one of the best bullpens in baseball), the acquisition would likely not be worth the cost at this stage for Chicago. The Padres would likely start the conversation with IF Caleb Bonemer, the White Sox top prospect and the 16th-ranked prospect in all of baseball. The White Sox would also likely have to include one of their top left-handed pitching prospects in Noah Schultz or Hagen Smith, and more. For a team with a bullpen that’s already pretty strong in the back-end, it’s an unnecessary move that might end up hurting them more than it helps. Instead, the White Sox could pivot to a player like Adrian Morejon, Miller’s teammate and a solid setup man that’s set to be a free agent this offseason. Morejon is still a very talented late inning reliever and could be had for a fraction of the cost. As exciting as Miller would be, it doesn’t feel like this is the right time for that kind of trade for the White Sox. 

LHP Robbie Ray

With the Giants already declaring that they’re open for business ahead of the deadline, one pitcher that’s a near certainty to be traded is lefty Robbie Ray, who is set to be a free agent after the season. The 34-year-old has had another solid season statistically, posting a 3.33 ERA in 20 outings this season, though his metrics suggest some regression could be coming. Ray’s xERA sits at 4.62, and he’s walked more than 11% of the hitters he’s faced. It seems like he’s benefitted greatly from the big ballpark in San Francisco. Peter Appel of Just Baseball proposed a mock trade that would send David Sandlin, Javier Mogollon, and Kyle Lodise for Ray, and I think the White Sox giving up three of their top 11 prospects for two months of a starter with poor metrics would be a poor decision. In addition, Robbie Ray has a 7.43 in four playoff outings, so he’s not the kind of arm the White Sox will be able to rely on when the lights are brightest. If Chicago chooses to go the rental route, someone like Clay Holmes would represent a stronger option.

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