White Sox can chalk up a big win by getting better end of offseason trade with Rays

The White Sox had an active offseason as they looked to go into 2026 with an improved roster. The signing of Munetaka Murakami, who is off to an excellent start, was the headliner, but the team made several other savvy additions in hopes of winning more games. Before any of the free agent signings, however, the White Sox made a November trade that has already started to pay dividends and may even be leaving the Rays with some regret. 

On the day teams needed to finalize their 40-man rosters ahead of the Rule 5 draft, several teams did some roster-shuffling. The White Sox acquired righty Chris Murphy from Boston and also completed a trade with the Rays, sending RHPs Steven Wilson and Yoendrys Gomez to Tampa Bay for OF Everson Pereira and IF Tanner Murray. At the time, the deal made sense for both sides. The Rays landed two veteran arms to stabilize their pitching staff, and the White Sox took a chance of a former top-100 prospect with big power and added a versatile infielder for two pitchers who likely weren’t going to be in their plans for 2026. 

The White Sox gamble on Pereira seems to be paying off early this season

Now, nearly a month into the 2026 season, the early returns of the deal look strong for the White Sox. Pereira, 25, opened eyes at the start of spring training, but missed several weeks with an oblique injury. He returned in time for Opening Day and received the primary reps in right field to start the year. Pereira dealt with some nerves and took some ugly at bats in the first two games, but quickly settled in and started driving the ball all over the field. An ankle injury sidelined him for ten days, but Pereira picked up where he left off upon his return. Entering Friday, he’s hitting .271 with three home runs and an .887 OPS. Hit batted-ball and bat speed numbers are all well above-average, and he’s played solid defense in right field. 

Pereira still has a tendency to chase pitches out of the strike zone and has a high strikeout rate, but he has shown a legitimate ability to drive the ball. He ranks fourth among White Sox position players in fWAR, only behind the trio of Munetaka Murakami, Colson Montgomery, and Miguel Vargas. It’s certainly been a promising start for the young outfielder, and he should get plenty of opportunities for playing time this season. 

Tanner Murray, the other player in the deal, has 26 plate appearances with the White Sox as well, hitting his first big league homer and slotting in at multiple positions on the left side of the field. 

For the Rays end of the deal, Steven Wilson has dealt with back issues and was placed on the 60-day IL to begin the season. Yoendrys Gomez has appeared in eight games, but has allowed 12 earned runs in 15.1 innings and struggled to consistently put batters away. It’s early, but you have to think the Rays might be feeling a bit of regret about the deal. The mechanical adjustments the White Sox made with Pereira seem to have put him in an excellent position to hit the ball hard consistently, and the Rays may wish they’d made those adjustments rather than added two arms that have hardly contributed. 

The White Sox will try to get a full season of production from Pereira and establish him as a long-term piece. As a former top-100 prospect, the team knows how much talent he has and that it’s their job to bring out the best in him. So far, so good.

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