The Chicago Cubs could no longer be patient with their Rule 5 pick, Gage Workman.
Since the Chicago White Sox are going nowhere, they can easily afford to acquire him and give him the runway to see if he can be a big-league player.
Therefore, the Tater is switching neighborhoods in Chicago (his middle name is legitimately Tater).
This is a good trade for the White Sox to make with their crosstown rival.
Prior to today’s game at the Athletics, the Chicago White Sox acquired infielder Gage Workman from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations and designated infielder Nick Maton for assignment.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 26, 2025
He is now the third Rule 5 pick the White Sox will carry on the roster. Things are going great with rookie pitcher Shane Smith, whom the Sox took with the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft. Mike Vasil has also gotten outs in long relief as the White Sox claimed him off waivers before the season started.
Now the White Sox are trying out a position player in Workman. The Cubs selected him from the Detroit Tigers organization in the Rule 5 Draft.
Workman's .364/.420/.705 spring training slash line was enough to make the Cubs' Opening Day roster. As the Cubs try to win the NL Central, it became clear after he started the season 3-for-14 that they could not carry Workman on their 26-man roster.
Instead, the Cubs decided to sign former White Sox infielder Nicky Lopez to a major league deal. The team DFA'd Workman to make room on the roster.
According to MLBTradeRumors.com, this is what the White Sox are getting in Workman...
Workman is viewed as a plus defender at third base with plenty of raw power and too much swing-and-miss in his offensive profile. He spent the 2024 season with the Tigers’ Double-A affiliate, where he batted .280/.366/.476 with 18 homers, 30 steals, an 11.7% walk rate and a bloated 27.5% strikeout rate in his third season of action at that level. He’s yet to appear in a Triple-A game.
The White Sox have committed to Miguel Vargas at third, and a swing adjustment is starting to show he might be able to break out of an early-season slump.
However, Workman can also play shortstop and some outfield. With the team's outfield depth ravaged by injuries and Miguel Amaya not hitting at all at short, adding Workman makes a ton of sense.
Plus, seeing if Workman can be a viable long-term piece is what the Chicago White Sox should be doing this season.
Great pickup for the White Sox. Workman struggled in his small sample with the Cubs, but it’s not hard to envision him being a successful defender at the hot corner. Additionally, his offensive output in AA earned him above average PECOTA projections in the MLB. Fun project! https://t.co/WYzrgugy67
— Steven (@GoCubs49) April 26, 2025
The team tried to see if Nick Maton could be that kind of player, given he was 28 and not given much of a runway in stops with Philadelphia, Detroit, and Baltimore.
However, he produced a .173/.295/.327 slash line in 23 games this season. Given that Workman is three years younger, it makes sense to carry Gage over Maton.