Trade rumors are starting to swirl around the Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are the worst team in baseball so it is no surprise that they will be sellers at the trade deadline.

What is surprising is that young, talented players under team control are rumored to be on the trading block according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

He has the Sox at the top of his unloaders list. Well, it is because he went by alphabetical order by city, but still, it does not take a genius to see the White Sox will be an obvious seller before the trade deadline next month.

Passan lists Tommy Pham as an obvious trade candidate. Pitcher Erick Fedde also makes sense to be moved. He also said the Sox have no sacred cows so that also means Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. are available on the trade market.

The Athletic's Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal also reported that the San Diego Padres are interested in Crochet's services.

Here is what you need to take into account when it comes to what the White Sox will be looking for in return and what could impact their potential trades...

SoxMachine.com's White Sox beat reporter James Fegan was on local radio station, 670 the Score, and he said the team wants to acquire talent that is in Double-A or Triple-A.

Lin and Rosenthal also wrote the Sox want position players with upside. Fegan pointed out it is going to be hard to get a premium prospect that close to the big leagues based on what the White Sox have to trade a contender.

Typically, a contender is going to be reluctant to part with a cornerstone prospect no matter how desperate they are. It is unlikely the Baltimore Orioles are going to move prospects such as Samuel Basallo, Coby Mayo, or Heston Kjerstad (prospects in MLB.com's Top 25) for say a package of Tommy Pham, Erick Fedde, and Chris Flexen. The Sox might have to bundle all their veteran trade assets to get those prospects. While you will get quality in that hypothetical, you still want to get some quantity for what the Sox have to offer on the trade market. So do not put all your eggs in one basket.

Also, Fegan describes if you can get a contender to give up a prospect so close to the big leagues, it might mean the prospects the Sox get back will come with some risk, like a low ceiling. Just look at Drew Thorpe and his lack of velocity. The Padres did not bat an eye at giving him up for Dylan Cease because his floor is a decent starter, and it might also be his ceiling.

It also reflects that general manager Chris Getz is probably going to have a high asking price at first and maybe have to come off that price.

It also represents that the Sox could blow rebuild 2.0 by ignoring players with high ceilings or even not getting the best player back just because said prospect is in A-ball. The New York Mets only got one prospect back for Tommy Pham last year. It was a high risk, high reward player but that is probably the market for Pham.

Also, Crochet and Robert Jr. do not have to be moved right now as both are under team control. So Getz should only move those two if he gets a massive offer.

Keep in mind that Crochet and Robert Jr. still have flaws that might not yield a comparable return.

Robert Jr. just returned from a nearly two-month stay on the injured list. Last season was the first time he played over 100 games. He still lacks a lot of plate discipline. While his 2023 season was amazing, it was the first time he lived up to his potential. Crochet is in his first season as a starter after only throwing 73 innings. There will be an innings limits issue down the road.

Plus, both have the potential to have the next competitive built around them. That is why it makes more sense to keep them, or at the very least, wait until the offseason to move them.