15 worst trades in Chicago White Sox franchise history
By Eric Treuden
No. 13: Anthony Swarzak traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Ryan Cordell - July 2017
We're three trades in and already have our second entrant from the 2017 trade deadline (spoiler alert: it's not the last).
Swarzak, a longtime member of the Minnesota Twins and former Cleveland Indian, joined the White Sox in 2017 and was a major bright spot on a horrendous 2017 team.
In 41 games, the then-31-year-old had a 4-3 record with a 2.23 ERA, 2.35 FIP, and 193 ERA+, what ended up being the highest mark of his 11-year career.
Swarzak, like Hernández, was a rental. So his loss never made shockwaves through the organization. But the player the Sox got back, an intriguing outfielder who was meant to be a solid contributor, is the sole reason for this deal's inclusion on the list.
Cordell, a highly-touted prospect who had 20 HR/80-90 RBI potential and also possessed some wheels on the bases, had previously been a part of the Jonathan Lucroy deal that sent the All-Star catcher from the Brewers to the Rangers.
After hitting 18 doubles and 10 home runs in 69 games for the Brewers Triple-A affiliate in 2017, Cordell figured to be a young and promising outfielder that the Sox could slot into their rebuilding lineup and see if they can uncover something great.
Instead, he missed the rest of the year with an injury and when he did make it to the big leagues, he had a combined .205 batting average and 61 OPS+ in 116 games for the Sox, giving them one of the worst players they've ever had.