The White Sox have had their best April in several years. That’s not saying much, however, as the record has been particularly abysmal to start the season over the last three years. Still, the White Sox enter Friday’s game at 14-17, and the focus remains on player development instead of competing in 2026. We’re still a few months away from the MLB trade deadline, but it’s not too early to start looking at which pieces could be on the move for the White Sox and what they might fetch in return. No, the White Sox are not going to trade Munetaka Murakami this season, but they do have several other players who may be of interest to other teams.
LHP Sean Newcomb
The White Sox added Newcomb this offseason to compete for a rotation spot but ended up sticking him in the bullpen. He’s been the primary high-leverage lefty for the team in the early going and has been mostly effective. In 14 appearances, Newcomb has pitched to a 4.00 ERA in 18 innings, striking out 17 and walking eight. In a White Sox bullpen that has struggled with inconsistency, Newcomb has been one of the more reliable options. He’s among the best in baseball with his 58.2% ground ball rate and he’s done a nice job of limiting hard contact. Newcomb signed just a one-year deal, so he’s unlikely to command a large return in a potential trade, but many contending clubs will be looking for a reliable lefty reliever, so his market should be robust. The White Sox could consider replacing Newcomb by moving Anthony Kay to the bullpen or bringing back lefty Tyler Schweitzer.
OF Austin Hays
The White Sox added Hays via free agency in the wake of the trade that sent Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets in January. Hays brings a much-needed veteran presence to a young White Sox lineup, and he’s posted at least average offensive numbers for the majority of his career. He got off to a bit of a slow start this season and had just started to find his groove when he suffered a hamstring strain that landed him on the IL. Hays was reactivated this week and will be looking to build on his modest start to the season. With Everson Pereira now on the IL, Hays should get ample playing time in the short term. The White Sox are awaiting the arrival of top prospect Braden Montgomery this summer, and a trade of Hays to a contender could be the opportunity they need to get Montgomery in the lineup.
Austin Hays gives us the lead! pic.twitter.com/1P0vUszaJ8
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 3, 2026
RHP Erick Fedde
I’ll admit, when the White Sox announced they’d brought back Erick Fedde on a one-year deal, I didn’t love the idea. Fedde first pitched for the White Sox in 2024, posting surprisingly good first-half numbers before a trade sent him to the Cardinals at the trade deadline. The White Sox landed Miguel Vargas in that trade, and Fedde finished strong in 2024, but had a rough time in 2025. Still, the White Sox saw enough to bring him back, and he’s looked closer to his 2024 self so far this season. Fedde is on a cheap one-year deal, so he’s not likely to land the White Sox a huge return, but a contending team looking for a stopgap back-end starter for cheap could be calling the White Sox. A trade of Fedde would free up innings for some of the young White Sox pitchers in the second half, and it feels like the likely outcome at this point.
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