Revisiting the White Sox-Dodgers Miguel Vargas trade nearly 2 years later

When Chris Getz took over as general manager of the White Sox during the disastrous 2023 season, he certainly had his work cut out for him. The White Sox underwent a firesale and tore the team down to the studs, leaving minimal tradable assets on the roster in 2024. Chris Getz’s first full season was a disaster in every sense of the word, and the biggest questions surrounded which players he’d move on from at the trade deadline. The biggest trade, met by skeptics everywhere, was a three-team deal that sent right-hander Erick Fedde to the Cardinals and brought Miguel Vargas and multiple prospects to the White Sox from the Dodgers. Two years later, the trade looks a lot different than when it first went down. 

At the time, the White Sox had a veteran starter in Fedde with a year and a half of control and a 3.11 ERA. His performance in his return from Korea was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise dark season. White Sox fans anticipated receiving at least one top 100 prospect for a starter with control pitching at all All-Star level. Instead, they received Miguel Vargas, who was a 24-year-old infielder without a clear role on the Dodgers, as well as prospects Jeral Perez and Alexander Albertus. Perez and Albertus were both in the top half of the Dodgers system but neither came close to any Top 100 lists. The overall response by White Sox fans was one of disappointment, with many feeling underwhelmed by the return. 

So how do things look just two years later? Well, Fedde finished the 2024 season solid with the Cardinals, posting a 3.72 ERA in ten starts down the stretch. His 2025 season, however, was a disaster. The right-hander struggled to a 5.49 ERA in 141 innings between three different teams, and he was left off the Milwaukee Brewers postseason roster. Fedde rejoined the White Sox for 2026 and has been inconsistent. Through 12 starts, he’s posted a 4.94 ERA despite a few solid outings. Regardless, he didn’t make the kind of impact on the Cardinals 2024 and 2025 seasons that they hoped he would. 

Prospects Jeral Perez and Alexander Albertus remain in the White Sox organization two years later. Perez, 21, hit 22 home-runs in High-A Winston-Salem in 2025, but was hoping to reign in the strikeouts this season. Now in Double-A, it’s been a rough start to the year for Perez, though the bat has started to come around the past couple weeks. In 45 games, he’s slashing .175/.279/.289 with a .568 OPS and just four home runs. Albertus, also 21, has dealt with multiple injuries and hasn’t played much since the trade. He played just eight games in Rookie Ball last season and finally returned to full-season ball in 2026, joining Kannapolis in May. He’s shown promise this season, holding an .809 OPS in 19 games. The White Sox will hope he can stay on the field and begin to progress his way through the system. 

Miguel Vargas has become a star in Major League Baseball in 2026

Of course, the elephant in the room in this whole discussion is the development of Miguel Vargas. Vargas looked abysmal in 42 games with the White Sox in 2024, hitting just .104 with a .387 OPS. A brutal first month of 2025 led to a stance adjustment, and Vargas put together a much-stronger .717 OPS in 2025. So far in 2026, however, Vargas looks nothing short of a superstar. In 61 games this season, Vargas is slashing .242/.368/.502 with an OPS of .870. His 15 home-runs are one short of his career-high mark set in 2025. Vargas leads all third basemen in home runs and RBIs, and ranks in the top three in fWAR, SLG, and WRC+. His 2.27 Win Probability Added is the 5th most among all players in baseball. 

At this point, it would be a complete travesty if Miguel Vargas isn’t in the All-Star game in Philadelphia in July. He’s been the most important player for the White Sox step forward and looks like one of the most improved players in baseball. White Sox fans who were initially disappointed with him being the prize of the Fedde deal are certainly feeling different now. Whether Perez and Albertus pan out or not, the White Sox landed an impact piece of their future in the trade, and that's a win.

As Miguel Vargas continues his quest toward superstardom, Chris Getz can take pride in the fact that he got that one correct, even if the general public believed otherwise.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow