It’s only May, but the Chicago White Sox bullpen has already undergone quite a bit of reshuffling. The preseason injury to right-hander Mike Vasil left the White Sox with a massive vacancy, and they’ve spent the first six weeks of the season trying to find a reliable option. Everyone from Rule 5 pick Jedixson Paez to veteran Lucas Sims, rookie Duncan Davitt, and journeyman Osvaldo Bido has gotten a chance to take control of the spot, but none have prevailed. In a somewhat surprising move, the White Sox added their next auditionee in a trade Tuesday evening.
The Chicago White Sox have acquired right-handed pitcher Trevor Richards from Philadelphia in exchange for cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, the White Sox transferred right-hander Drew Thorpe to the 60-day injured list.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 5, 2026
Richards, 32, heads to the White Sox after being the odd-man out in the Phillies pen earlier this week. A former undrafted free agent, Richards played independent ball in 2015 following his collegiate career and landed a free-agent deal with the Miami Marlins after a strong showing in the Frontier League. After strong seasons as a starting pitcher in 2016 and 2017, Richards made his big league debut for the Marlins in 2018, posting a 4.42 ERA in 25 starts. He started 23 games in 2019 between the Marlins and Rays before making the move to the bullpen. In the years since, Richards has floated between several teams as a reliever, including stints with the Rays, Blue Jays, Brewers, Twins, Royals, Diamondbacks, and Phillies. His best season came in 2021, where he posted a 3.50 ERA in 53 appearances with three teams.
Richards' strong start could help White Sox on the field and the trade market
In four appearances with Philadelphia this season, Richards allowed one earned run on four hits, with three walks and five strikeouts. In addition, the right-hander had a 1.93 ERA in nine appearances for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Richards has not yet been officially added to the White Sox roster and no corresponding move has been announced, but he's expected to be added to the team prior to Friday's game against the Mariners. Struggling right-hander Osvaldo Bido is among the more likely candidates to be on the way out with Richards' addition to the roster.
Richards has refined his arsenal in recent years, ditching his slider and essentially rolling with a fastball-changeup combo, which seems to fit into Brian Bannister’s strengths. In his small big league sample size this season, he’s been effective at limiting hard contact and has shown a promising strikeout rate, but he’ll need to keep the walks in check.
As far as his fit with the White Sox goes: the club is looking for serviceable innings they can flip at the deadline, and he certainly could fit that bill. Relievers, especially on the wrong side of 30, are so volatile that even if the White Sox continue to be in the mix for the division, they should be comfortable moving a guy like Richards. At 32 and without a strong track record, he’s unlikely to command a huge return, but landing any future asset for a guy who wasn’t on your roster to start the season is a win.
As the White Sox look to take steps forward and win more games in 2026, let’s hope Richards can provide some stability to a bullpen that desperately needs it.
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