Two of the Biggest Black Friday deals in White Sox history

The Thanksgiving holiday represents the calm before the storm in the MLB offseason. The majority of the big free agent deals happen in the weeks immediately after Thanksgiving, and the weekend is normally quiet for transactions as players and executives spend time with family and friends. As Thanksgiving ends, millions of people search for the best deals on Black Friday, and it’s not unheard of for MLB teams to do the same. The White Sox have made a handful of Black Friday deals throughout their history. Here are a couple of their most notable. 

Black Friday 2005: White Sox acquire 1B Jim Thome from the Phillies 

The White Sox, on the heels of a World Series championship, made a big move to improve their lineup even more on Black Friday in 2005. The team sent center-fielder Aaron Roward, along with left-handed pitching prospects Daniel Haigwood and Gio Gonzalez, to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for slugger Jim Thome. Thome, 35, was coming off a down season in 2005 where he was held to just 59 games and a .207 average. The White Sox hoped a healthy Thome would be an impact bat in their lineup, and he absolutely was. Thome launched 42 home runs and posted a 1.014 OPS in 2006, and followed it up with 35 home runs in 2007 and 34 in 2008. Thome hit 23 more in 2009 before a midseason trade to the Dodgers. Overall, Thome hit 134 home runs over parts of four seasons with the White Sox, and he became a staple in the middle of their order. Aaron Roward had some good years for Philadelphia, including making the all-star game in 2007, but was never the impact bat that Thome was. Daniel Haigwood never pitched in the Major Leagues, and even though Gio Gonzalez ended up being a solid big league starter, he never pitched for the Phillies. I’d say the White Sox got a Black Friday bargain here. 

Black Friday 1976: White Sox sign free-agent 3B Eric Soderholm 

The White Sox found a Black Friday deal on the free agent market back in 1976 when the team agreed to terms with former Twins 3B Eric Soderholm. Soderholm, a former first overall pick by Minnesota in 1968, had struggled to maintain solid production at the major league level. An injury wiped out his entire 1976 season, so the White Sox took a risk signing him for around $60k. Soderholm arrived with the White Sox fully healthy and turned in the best two seasons of his career in 1977 and 1978. His 25 home runs and .850 OPS were a key piece of the “Southside Hitmen”, who won 90 games in 1977 and set a record with 192 home runs. While Soderholm was never an all-star level player, the White Sox signed him to a very cheap contract and reaped the rewards. His deal was certainly a bargain. 

While the weekend after Thanksgiving isn’t normally a hotbed of activity, a few notable deals have happened over the years. The White Sox are no stranger to bargain bin shopping, so a Black Friday deal is right up their alley. We’ll see if Chris Getz has anything cooking for us this year.