The White Sox have a conundrum. They weren’t expecting to be where they are in the standings right now. But for once, it’s a positive thing. Unlike the 2023 season where the White Sox fully expected to contend and ended up losing 100 games, the White Sox enter the week tied for first place in the AL Central and are looking to add rather than subtract at the upcoming trade deadline. The White Sox are starting to gain steam in national media circles and rumors have begun to swirl about to what extent they’re willing to add this summer. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, in his Sunday notes column, had a note about the White Sox deadline approach.
“They plan to be aggressive at the trade deadline in their search for pitching, but not at the expense of parting with any of their top prospects as they build toward the future,” Nightengale said.
The White Sox must be willing to give up top prospects if they wish to be aggressive
It’s a bit of an oxymoron to say the White Sox are going to be aggressive but won’t deal any of their top prospects. You have to give up talent to get talent, so the White Sox need to decide how aggressively they’re willing to spend. On one hand, adding a controllable starter will be costly: they may need to sacrifice one or more of their top ten prospects to make that happen. But it would provide them with a reliable arm who can benefit them for multiple playoff pushes. Someone like Angels lefty Reid Detmers, who ESPN’S Jeff Passan mentioned as a strong fit, could make some sense, but he’d likely be costly given his recent success and two extra years of control.
Reid Detmers, 13th and 14th Strikeouts. 😲 pic.twitter.com/dRlGnjByVE
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 25, 2026
The alternative approach is to stick with cheap upgrades. These players are on expiring deals and provide only modest upgrades from the team’s in-house options. They won’t cost a ton in prospect capital but they won’t have any impact on the White Sox beyond this season. A player like Rockies righty Tomoyuki Sugano comes to mind. Sugano is a 36-year-old veteran on a one-year deal with the Rockies. He’s posted a 4.79 ERA in 14 starts this season in the most hitter-friendly environment in baseball. While he wouldn’t be a significant upgrade, Sugano could provide serviceable innings for the White Sox down the stretch and take some pressure off their young arms. There are likely several other available starters that fit into this same category.
The question isn’t whether the White Sox should go all-in to win this season. They’ve spent years building a plethora of young talent and to trade it all away in one deadline would be incredibly reckless. The question is whether Chris Getz is willing to use any of his top prospects to move on a controllable veteran and officially open the window. With the White Sox very much alive in the race for the postseason, the window is starting to crack open. It’s now up to Chris Getz to decide if it’s time to force it open and make a real run at a World Series in 2026.
How aggressive are they going to be? We’ll find out very soon.
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