To say the 2024 season has been an unmitigated disaster for the Chicago White Sox would be an understatement. The White Sox are sitting at the bottom of the standings with a 17-50 record. For reference, every other team in the American League has at least 25 wins.
Pretty much nothing has gone right for the Sox in 2024.
The team is dead last in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. On the pitching side, things have been slightly better, but nothing to write home about. Only the Colorado Rockies have a worse team ERA and WHIP.
With that being said, much of the discussion surrounding the team recently has dealt with trade rumors. Fortunately, the Sox do appear to have several valuable trade chips. Luis Robert Jr. may be one of the biggest trade chips in basball, let alone on the White Sox.
Today, let's identify the five biggest trade chips on the roster. This will be a combination of players on affordable contracts and players who will command the most in return...
5. Paul DeJong, SS
Paul DeJong has been one of the few White Sox players who has been fun to watch this season. The veteran shortstop is the only player on the team with double-digit homers and provides a reliable veteran bat.
DeJong has a slash line of .238/.287/.482. The veteran is striking out too much and isn't walking enough, but several contenders could be interested by a glove-first SS with some pop.
DeJong is on a one-year deal worth just under $2 million, so an interested team would not take on much money. As far as a return goes, DeJong likely won't command much. The fielder is set for free agency after the season and is approaching his 31st birthday. However, it's almost guaranteed that the veteran will leave in free agency, so might as well get something in return.
4. Tommy Pham, OF
Tommy Pham has been another veteran who has found life with the White Sox. The veteran slugger has been the best hitter on the team and is slashing .280/.331/.402 with three homers.
Pham, like DeJong, is on an affordable one-year deal. The veteran also wouldn't cost much in free agency due to his age and contract status. Still, a contending team could value Pham's bat at the deadline. If Pham does get moved, this would be the third consecutive year in which the slugger moves teams mid-season.
Losing Pham would only dampen what has already been the league's worst offense. It's entirely possible the White Sox don't want to lose Pham's production, even if he does leave after the year. However, I believe some team will overpay for Pham in hopes of making a deep playoff run.
3. Erick Fedde, SP
Erick Fedde has been one of the most surprising starting pitchers in the league. The pitcher landed a two-year, $15M deal with the Sox this offseason after a successful stint in South Korea. To date, the pitcher has a 4-1 record with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.
The pitcher should command a nice haul on the market. Teams always want quality pitching depth for the stretch run, and Fedde isn't a rental. Realistic trade packages were recently identified for Fedde, and the Sox should have no problem adding to their farm system.
There may not be many other starting pitchers with team control available at the deadline, so someone could overpay for Fedde. Sure, the team could hold on to the pitcher and try again next season, but his value may never be higher.
Boston Red Sox v Chicago White Sox / Quinn Harris/GettyImages
2. Garrett Crochet, SP
Garrett Crochet, along with Fedde, has been fantastic this season. The young hurler has a 6-5 record with a 3.33 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. The pitcher has allowed just a .190 batting average and has 103 strikeouts in 75.2 innings pitched.
Crochet is not slated to reach free agency until 2027, so teams will be paying a premium for his services. The pitcher should command multiple top prospects in return, which would give a huge boost to a mediocre White Sox farm system.
The White Sox will be in no rush to trade Crochet. The pitcher has two more arbitration years after 2024, but his value may never be higher. The Sox possibly held on to Dylan Cease too long, and they won't want to repeat that mistake.
1. Luis Robert Jr.
Luis Robert Jr. would be one of the top trade candidates if he is made available this summer. The star has a Silver Slugger and Golden Glove Award already, and earned an All-Star nod in 2023. The slugger has dealt with injuries, but has a .276/.323/.500 career slash line.
Robert is under contract until 2027 with an average annual value of $8.3 million. The star's affordability plus years of team control will make him one of the hottest trade candidates this summer. It would not be a stretch to say the team should expect two or three top-100 prospects in return for the slugger.
Like Crochet, the Sox do not have to be in a hurry to trade Robert. It's possible the team could hold on to Robert, but as mentioned above, his value may never be higher.
