White Sox get former top prospect Curtis Mead and more for Adrian Houser at deadline

It was only a matter of time before the Chicago White Sox found the perfect trade partner for starting pitcher Adrian Houser.

Chris Getz and the White Sox held Houser until the final pre-deadline moments before finally dealing him to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Coming back to the White Sox in the trade is 24-year-old third baseman Curtis Mead, and Triple-A pitchers Duncan Davitt and Ben Peoples.

The White Sox had no choice but to trade Houser

Trading Adrian Houser was a no brainer. He's a veteran starting pitcher on an expiring contract. It was either trading him at the deadline or watching him walk in free agency without getting anything in return.

Sure, it was nice to see Houser stabilize the White Sox starting rotation after joining the team in late May. There's a lot of value in that considering how young most of the arms in Chicago are. But it was a seller's market at this year's deadline, especially for teams that were moving experienced pitchers.

With pitchers like Dylan Cease, Sandy Alcantara, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen dominating conversations, the White Sox were forced to wait until the pitching market settled before unloading Houser.

It all came down to which team missed out on the marquee names and was more desperate for a second-tier pitcher like Houser. That team ended up being the Rays.

Breaking down the White Sox return from the Rays

Curtis Mead is 24-year-old infielder with 320 career MLB at-bats over three seasons. He debuted for the Rays in 2023, but has never gotten regular playing time at the big league level.

Mead was the No. 2 prospect in the Rays organization as of 2023. He was the No. 33 prospect in baseball at one point, as well.

Mead is a former Australian Baseball League standout that was once given a hit-tool grade of 65 by MLB.com. "The Australia native bats out of an upright stance, and its simplicity allows him to see the ball well and react to most pitches. He doesn’t strike out a ton by modern standards, but the Rays have been enthused by the way he’s become more selective in seeking out pitches on which to do damage, rather than making contact for the sake of making contact," reads his 2023 prospect profile.

While he has a .238 batting average in 320 career at-bats, Mead has consistently produced in Triple-A and shown flashes of elite bat-to-ball skills in the big leagues.

Mead has five 5) home runs, eight (8) doubles, and two (2) triples in the big league career. He's not a huge power threat, but there's enough in the tank to spray extra-base hits all over the diamond.

Surely, the White Sox will hope to bring some of that offensive potential out with Mead working with hitting director Ryan Fuller.

Looking at the 2026 season, the White Sox have a lot of their on-paper roster already figured out. That's especially true with Luis Robert Jr. staying put at the deadline.

One need, however, was at third base. With Miguel Vargas settling in at first base this season, the White Sox need a reliable bat and glove at the hot corner for the future. Mead gives them an additional option over there.

While his glove isn't the most reliable, his bat has 20-25-homer potential if developed appropriately.

Mead could join the White Sox 26-man roster immediately if the front office believes he's ready to make adjustments while getting big league at-bats.

Duncan Davitt is a 25-year-old right-handed pitcher currently in Triple-A for the Rays. In 19 starts this year across two levels of the minor leagues, Davitt has a 4.08 and 105 strikeouts in 103.2 innings.

Ben Peoples is a 24-year-old right-handed relief pitcher with a 2.65 ERA in 35 appearances at Triple-A this season. People was a starter for his entire professional career before moving to the bullpen in 2025, but his 1.21 WHIP and 39 strikeouts are both respectable.

Both Davitt and Peoples don't seem to be far away from getting a shot in the big leagues. Having them included in the trade absolutely sweetens the pot, with the White Sox having three legitimate options to contribute at the Major League level eventually.

In my eyes, it was a great deal for Chris Getz and the White Sox for a pitcher (Houser) that wasn't even with the organization at the start of the regular season.