The Chicago White Sox have earned the stereotype of being cheap and the scorn from the fanbase for always crying poor. Another way this cheap narrative is furthered is by how often the team seems to keep acquiring cash considerations in recent deals.
The White Sox are one of two franchises to have never signed a player to a contract over $100 million. That matters, considering that is the going rate for quality players.
One of the infinite reasons last decade's rebuild failed so spectacularly was that ownership never authorized enough spending to put the team over the top.
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf wants taxpayers to mostly fund his dreams of a new stadium, despite his estimated worth being around $2.3 billion. He has claimed he needs to move the team out of the Bridgeport neighborhood to Chicago's South Loop to draw better and bring in the revenues to sign those 100-million-dollar players. The team operates in baseball's third-biggest media market and has spent like it resides in Milwaukee.
The White Sox seem to love acquiring Tampa's money in minor trades.
Veteran Travis Jankowski was quietly traded to the Rays in a cash deal back in late April. Now, minor league infielder Tristan Gray is on his way to Tampa's organization in a cash considerations trade as well, as Chicago can't shake the narrative.
Sources: The Rays are acquiring infielder Tristan Gray from the White Sox for cash.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) July 26, 2025
The 29-year-old infielder spent a few days on the 26-man roster, but he never got into a game. He hit .270 with an .870 OPS for Triple-A Charlotte this season.
Gray spent some time in Tampa's organization before. He even made his big-league debut with the Rays in 2023. It makes sense the Rays would have interest in getting him back for depth. The White Sox have plenty of infield roster depth, so Gray was expendable.
While getting cash for Triple-A players in a trade is nothing new, some fans can't let it go, given how often the White Sox sit on cash in situations where it actually matters.
According to ESPN's transaction tracker, this is the fifth trade this year in which the White Sox have traded away a player for straight cash. The White Sox even got some cash from the Brewers to cover some of Aaron Civale's deal in a trade that sent Andrew Vaughn to Milwaukee. The organization made three cash trades before the start of the 2024 season. One of those trades involved Jake Cousins, who pitched well in the New York Yankees bullpen.
The White Sox are not even bothering with a player to be named later or picking up international free-agent bonus pool space. The franchise just wants the money. It would be nice to finally add a star player by any means necessary, but these are the kind of deals we've wound up with instead.
This specific White Sox stereotype might not always be accurate, though.
The White Sox traded cash to the Cubs for catcher Matt Thaiss last offseason. He was a nice veteran catcher to provide cover at the position until rookies Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel were ready. The team was then able to trade him once they no longer needed him for Rays prospect Dru Baker, who could see some action if veterans Mike Tauchman, Luis Robert Jr., and Austin Slater are traded before the July 31 deadline.
Catcher Blake Sabol from Boston and outfielder Will Robertson from Toronto were the last two players the Sox acquired in trade. The Sox sent cash back in both of those deals. I think there is nothing wrong with getting cash for players who likely will never be anything more than utility guys.
These types of deals are usually safer than the "player to be named later" return. At least cash considerations will never have the remote possibility of being a great player someday.
It just gets amplified when the Sox acquire cash because of their penny-pinching ways.