The White Sox turned to the trade market at the beginning of the month to address their organizational needs as the team pushes to make the postseason. Among the items on the list: a high-leverage right-handed reliever to provide support alongside Grant Taylor and Jordan Hicks. The White Sox addressed that need in a big way, adding reliever Huascar Brazoban in a deal with the New York Mets. Just a couple weeks into his White Sox tenure, however, Brazoban’s struggles have started to cast some doubt on the deal.
Brazoban, under control for three years despite turning 36 earlier this season, was enjoying the best season of his career prior to the trade. In 46 appearances with the Mets, Brazoban posted an impressive 2.56 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. Primarily using his sinker and changeup, Brazoban excelled at inducing ground balls and soft contact, and he held hitters to just a .166 batting average.
Huascar Brazoban has looked like a different pitcher with the White Sox
Huascar Brazoban had a 2.56 ERA with the Mets and opponents hit .166 against him
— Noah Phalen (@Noahp245) August 19, 2026
In 8 appearances with the White Sox, he has a 6.14 ERA and opponents are hitting .308
Then, he was traded to the White Sox, and the trends flipped seemingly overnight. In eight appearances with the White Sox, Brazoban has allowed five earned runs in 7.1 innings, good for a 6.14 ERA. He’s walked as many hitters as he’s stuck out, and opponents have hit .308 against him. To be fair, it’s a small sample size, but this is not the pitcher the White Sox thought they were trading for. A pitcher who has excelled at getting the ball down in the zone has left far too many pitches in hittable zones.
Eight appearances is too small of a sample size to draw any sweeping conclusions about the trade, especially because Brazoban is under team control for three more seasons and the prospect capital the White Sox surrendered was minimal. But, his struggles are enough to raise a bit of a red flag on the deal. Right-hander Gabe Davis has made two starts for the Mets Double-A affiliate, allowing three earned runs over 6.1 innings. He struggled at the Double-A level with the White Sox but his development will be the key to the trade.
The White Sox bullpen has been used more than any other unit in baseball during 2026, and the uncertainties in the starting rotation make it a huge key to the team’s success. Brazoban turning back into the pitcher the White Sox know he can be will be of utmost importance. As a likely member of the bullpen in 2027 and beyond, White Sox fans need to hope Brazoban’s recent struggles are just a cold stretch, not the start of a trend.
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