After being quiet over the weekend as major deals were happening, the Chicago White Sox finally pulled off a major trade.
The White Sox were expected to be sellers at the deadline due to already having 81 losses. They have some attractive veterans to send to interested contenders and that is exactly what has happened.
The Sox completed a three-team deal sending starting pitcher Erick Fedde and veteran outfielder Tommy Pham to the St. Louis Cardinals. Closer Michael Kopech will go to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The White Sox get sorely needed hitting prospects in return. The Cardinals are also sending a player to the Dodgers.
The full trade is three teams and seven players, according to sources.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) July 29, 2024
Dodgers get: UT Tommy Edman, RP Michael Kopech.
Cardinals get: SP Erick Fedde, OF Tommy Pham.
White Sox get three INF prospects from the Dodgers: Miguel Vargas, Alexander Albertus and Jeral Perez.
Fedde has become the best free-agent signing of the offseason after the White Sox signed him from Korea. He was in a KBO exile after he struggled badly for the Washington Nationals.
Fedde has posted a 3.11 ERA this season and is on a team-friendly deal through next season. Pham was signed as the season started to provide veteran wisdom to the clubhouse and be flipped at the deadline.
Kopech and Fedde were fetching serious interest in the trade market, and the Sox chose to go with this deal.
Kopech went from being a serious non-tender candidate this offseason to throwing an immaculate inning. All it took was switching agents to Scott Boras for him to realize he needed to throw his slider and cutter more than his fastball.
The White Sox players may not have gotten enough players back for three big-leaguers.
The Sox picked up infielder Miguel Vargas, who is hitting .239 with a .735 OPS in 71 at-bats. Albertus is the Dodgers' No. 23 prospect according to MLB Pipeline while Perez is the No. 17 prospect in LA's system.
That is all the Sox are getting as being currently reported. You would think the franchise would get something from the St. Louis Cardinals.
St. Louis not giving any prospects in this deal is very confusing to me. I figured one piece from them would be heading to Chicago.
— Elijah Evans (@ElijahEv8) July 29, 2024
Overall, it's "underwhelming" to a degree but I still don't hate the return. Young hitters with upside are so desperately needed in the #WhiteSox… https://t.co/jZ4DDlY6WH
In addition, Perez and Albertus are at Low-A and the rumor was the Sox were looking for prospects closer to the big-league level. The nice thing is both are 19 with higher ceilings and that goes against the grain of what the Sox have been drafting lately--college players with higher floors than ceiling.
The Sox were at least able to add one player who can contribute to the big-league club with high potential. Vargas finished 2023 as the Dodgers' No. 3 prospect.