The Chicago White Sox let Jake Burger get away when they could use him the most

Thankfully, we are only 25 games away from this historically bad Chicago White Sox season's conclusion.

It is no secret that the White Sox don’t have a solid blueprint to compete anytime shortly. The most glaring issue facing the team is their lack of skill on the offensive side of the ball. The White Sox rank last in the following offensive categories: OPS, Slugging, Total Bases, RBIs, and Runs scored.

The most jarring fact is that the closest team to the Sox’s 417 Runs scored is the Miami Marlins, who have scored 509. A 92-run difference from 30th to 29th place is an absurdity.

The thought that makes this even gloomier, is that the Sox don’t have many reinforcements in the minors. Edgar Quero is the only offensive prospect near major league ready who has been excelling in the minors. The team’s top offensive prospect Colson Montgomery has struggled in Triple A this year and may need more time to develop than expected.

In an ideal world, especially because it is the White Sox, the team could acquire cheap contracts that could self-produce offense.

Unfortunately, the team did have that in a former player that they decided to deal during the 2023 trade deadline. His name was Jake Burger.

It is not just the fact that he is raking in Miami that has made this trade one of the worst in recent memory. It is the fact that he was so beloved by the fans and wanted to be in Chicago which made this trade sting so much.

After seeing the return for Eloy this trade deadline, it is hard to imagine that the Sox if given the opportunity, wouldn’t go back in time to keep Burger and ship out Eloy instead.

This year, Jake Burger’s payroll is worth $760,000 and is under team control until after the 2028 season. A cheap contract is what the Sox love most, and the fact that he has 25 home runs and a .775 OPS, which he would be the team leader in both stats, makes the idea of the trade even more mind-boggling.

It also does not help that the prospect the Sox got back from the Burger trade, Jake Eder, has been abysmal in the minors. In Birmingham he is sported a 5.09 ERA, and in Charlotte, he is sporting a 10.13 ERA in 7 starts.

Based on the putrid performance of the White Sox offense this year, and the fact that the team have no long-term studs at third base, first base, or DH, Jake Burger seems like the piece that got away during the team’s contention window.