The Chicago White Sox have been going with veterans during a lost season over playing younger players to see how they can help the team in the future.
A big reason to go with the veteran players is the hope they can perform well enough to be traded before the deadline and add more young future pieces to the organization.
While these older players have produced a terrible record, White Sox general manager Chris Getz was able to flip a veteran today to get a young pitching prospect back.
The Sox traded outfielder Robbie Grossman to the Texas Rangers for pitching prospect Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa.
The Sox have traded Robbie Grossman to the Rangers. They get minor league pitcher Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa in return. Zach Remillard up from Triple-A, taking Grossman’s place on the active and 40-man rosters.
— Vinnie Duber (@VinnieDuber) May 8, 2024
Grossman goes back to the Rangers after he helped them win the World Series last season. He was signed toward the end of spring training by the Sox. Grossman leaves with a .211/.329/.268 slash line, a wRC+ of 81, and a -0.3 fWAR. Before the trade, Grossman was one of five players the Sox had on their active roster with an on-base percentage over .300.
Instead of bringing back outfielder Dominic Fletcher to the big leagues to see if he can be a future piece, the Sox have added infielder Zach Remiilard back to the 40-man roster and called up him.
What are the White Sox getting in Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa?
If he makes it to the majors, the last name on the back of his jersey might be the longest ever. He was taken in the 30th round by the Rangers in the 2019 draft.
The reliever has not given up an earned run so far this season for the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. He has 0.89 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched this season.
He was named a MiLB organizational All-Star in 2022. He had a 2.96 ERA last season after spending time with the Rangers' Complex League team, then he went to Low-A ball and was promoted to High-A ball during the season.
He is 24 years old with 16 career saves in the minors and 146 career strikeouts since debuting in the Rangers' farm system in 2021.
Hoopii-Tuionetoa might be nothing more than a bullpen arm down the road, but he will come cheap if he makes it to the White Sox 26-man roster someday. We all know how spending the limited financial resources the team had on the bullpen contributed toward the contention window slamming shut so quickly.
Getting a pitcher who could crack a bullpen someday is a nice return for Robbie Grossman.