The Chicago White Sox have needed a second baseman ever since they traded Nick Madrigal to the Chicago Cubs in the deal that landed them Craig Kimbrel. The White Sox also lost Codi Heuer in the deal as well which is another reason to hate it.
The Kimbrel trade was a disaster for the White Sox in hindsight but it was the right move to make at the time of the deal. A perceived World Series contender added the best reliever on the market which was sure to bolster their bullpen. They weren't the only team begging to get Kimbrel's services.
Nick Madrigal was injured when the White Sox traded him and wasn't returning for the rest of that season. In 2022 with the Cubs, however, he didn't really have that good of a year for them. He didn't look like the contact singles machine that dominated with two strikes on the south side.
Since the end of the 2022 season, the Cubs have made some upgrades. Dansby Swanson signed a very lucrative contract to become their new shortstop. Now, Nico Hoerner (after a breakout season in 2022) is going to be moved to second base. That leaves Madrigal without a spot on the team.
The Chicago White Sox should have never traded Nick Madrigal at all.
It would make sense for the Cubs to trade him at this point as they literally don't need him right now as a bench piece. He is probably too good to be a regular bench guy so a team might be interested in his services at second base.
Since Cesar Hernandez, Josh Harrison, Leury Garcia, Danny Mendick, Romy Gonzalez, or Lenyn Sosa were never really good options there, the White Sox would actually be a great fit to get Madrigal back in the mix. Now, would the two teams actually make a move like this?
Well, one MLB insider thinks that it is a possibility. Bob Nightengale of USA Today has a bad reputation for getting things wrong sometimes but he usually knows what he is talking about when it comes to the White Sox because of his relationship with the ownership group.
He is making an assumption with his analysis too but it totally makes sense why he would say this. Madrigal would just fit in so well with this club that needs some help at his position so badly. Maybe they will actually find a way to pull it off. Bob knows something is up.
The White Sox obviously thought highly of him at one point. He was drafted really high (fourth overall in 2018) and was a part of one of the biggest deals the team has made during the rebuild. If they decide to bring him back, they have to hope he becomes an effective contact guy again.