By now, most White Sox fans have likely heard the name David Sandlin. Even if you’re not the kind of person who extensively follows the White Sox top 30 prospect list, Sandlin made headlines with his historic major league debut earlier this week. With Noah Schultz currently on the shelf, Sandlin should get a good opportunity to prove he belongs in the big league rotation. His success would be a great look for Chris Getz, who took on a bad Jordan Hicks contract to land him.. But what most people don’t realize is that acquiring him likely wouldn’t have been possible without the help of a White Sox division rival.
David Sandlin breaks out a nasty sinking fastball to pick up his 1st MLB strikeout!@whitesox | @OU_Baseball pic.twitter.com/bouxWxK159
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 27, 2026
The White Sox acquired Sandlin in a trade with Boston, but the Red Sox aren’t the team that originally drafted him. After two years at a junior college, Sandlin transferred to University of Oklahoma in 2022, where he posted a 5.59 ERA in 95 innings. Still, MLB teams liked his stuff more than the results showed, and Sandlin was drafted in the 11th round by the Kansas City Royals that same season. He spent the 2023 season with the Royals, where he posted a 3.51 ERA between Low-A and High-A. White Sox pitching coach Zach Bove was on the Royals staff at the time, and it seems Sandlin left an impression on Bove that year.
The Royals trade for John Schreiber set the stage for the White Sox to add Sandlin
Following the 2023 season, the Royals acquired right-handed reliever John Schrieber from Boston, sending Sandlin to the Red Sox as the return. Sandlin spent the next two seasons in the Red Sox minor league system, showcasing strong stuff despite middling results. The Red Sox were looking to unload Jordan Hicks’ contract this offseason, and with minimal payroll commitments, the White Sox felt like it was worth taking on to land a pitcher like Sandlin. It’s only been one outing, but that appears to be paying off for the White Sox, and it wouldn’t have happened without help from Kansas City.
The White Sox will have an interesting decision to make when Noah Schultz returns from the injured list. Davis Martin and Sean Burke have both had strong starts to the season, and lefty Anthony Kay has looked much better as of late. If Sandlin continues to post strong results and earn his keep, the White Sox will likely need to decide between moving on from veteran Erick Fedde and hurting their depth, or optioning Schultz to Triple-A for a reset. If I were making the decision, I’d move Erick Fedde to the bullpen where he could provide length from the right side, and I’d continue giving starts to both Schultz and Sandlin.
There’s a long way to go before any definitive conclusions can be drawn about the trade, but the decision to take on Hicks’ contract is already looking like a savvy move for White Sox GM Chris Getz. And it never would’ve been possible without a little help from a division rival.
Add us as a preferred source on Google