The Chicago White Sox are in the middle of a really bad season. 2023 was supposed to be a bounce back from what was a mediocre .500 (81-81) 2022 season.
Instead, the ball club has gotten worse. Now, some players are going to be moved as they try to turn this thing around in the years to come.
A lot of people were surprised when the team released their probably starters for this week's series against the Atlanta Braves. Lucas Giolito was not included.
Of course, Giolito is one of the Sox's biggest trade chips right now. They could decide to extend him because he is a great pitcher but a good return might come for him as well.
The Chicago White Sox may trade some very good players this year.
Well, on Thursday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers are interested in the White Sox ace.
The Dodgers are interested in White Sox RHP Lucas Giolito, one of the top available pitchers, sources say.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 13, 2023
Giolito, who went to high school in LA, has a 3.45 ERA this year. The Dodgers have an @MLB-best 9 of the industry’s top 100 prospects, per @MLBPipeline.@MLBNetwork
As noted by Morosi, Giolito has a 3.25 ERA. He had a bad year in 2022 but his bounce-back effort this year after very good years in 2019, 2020, and 2021 shows it was an outlier.
Giolito played his high school baseball in Los Angeles so playing for the Dodgers would be a bit of a homecoming for him. They have a loaded rotation that he would be a part of as well.
They also have an offense that would support him unlike any he has ever had in his professional career.
The Dodgers enter the post-All-Star break schedule tied atop the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
They are 51-38. Adding a pitcher like Giolito to round out their rotation would do wonders for their division title/World Series chances.
As for the White Sox, you'd hope they get a really good return for Giolito if they do move him to the Dodgers.
They have one of the most loaded prospect farms in the world that includes 9 of the top 100 (most in Major League Baseball).
Giolito has expressed interest in staying with the White Sox but this would be a great opportunity for him as an individual as well. Only time will tell if this rumor has something to it.