The White Sox completed an exciting ninth-inning comeback to win the second game of their trip to Seattle on Tuesday night. Even mid-game, Chris Getz just can’t stop wheeling and dealing. Lost in the shuffle of the improbable victory was a roster move to add another interesting arm to the bullpen mix
The Chicago White Sox have acquired left-handed pitcher Joe Rock from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for infielder Oliver Dunn. Rock has been optioned to Class AAA Charlotte.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 20, 2026
To make room for Rock on the 40-man roster, the White Sox have transferred catcher Kyle Teel to the…
Rock, 25, is a big lefty with a starter’s track record in the minor leagues, though he’s recently moved to the bullpen full time. The former 68th overall pick by the Rockies in 2021, Rock was traded to the Rays in 2024 and posted a 4.58 ERA in a career-high 139.2 innings with Triple-A Durham that same season. Despite a 5.21 ERA in 2025, Rock reached the big league level for the first time, appearing in three games for the Rays and allowing two earned runs over 7.2 innings with 11 strikeouts. He began this season back in Durham, where his results have been mixed, but he continues to miss bats effectively, with 27 strikeouts in 15 innings.
Rock’s primary mix includes a sinker and four-seam fastball that each average 93-94 MPH, and a mid-80s slider and changeup. His primary pitches all grade slightly above average according to TJStats, so there’s reason to believe he can at least be serviceable at the big league level. He’ll be assigned to Charlotte to start.
On the flip side, the White Sox will send infielder Oliver Dunn to the Rays, and he’ll be added to their big league roster. The 28 year-old signed a minor league deal with the White Sox this offseason after spending the past few years in the Brewers organization. He appeared in the big leagues in 2024 and 2025 with Milwaukee, but struggled to a .551 OPS over that span. A versatile defender in the infield, Dunn has nine home runs and a .938 OPS with Charlotte this season. With the White Sox regular infield locked into place and former first-round pick Jacob Gonzalez looking resurgent, the team doesn’t have as much need for Dunn as initially thought, and felt a left-handed relief option was a bigger priority.
White Sox and Rays complete their fourth trade in the past year
The White Sox and Rays have been frequent trade partners over the past couple seasons. The teams first matched up last year during the trade deadline when the White Sox sent RHP Adrian Houser to the Rays for Curtis Mead, Duncan Davitt, and Ben Peoples. The offseason began with another deal between the two sides, with Yoendrys Gomez and Steven Wilson heading to Tampa for Everson Pereira and Tanner Murray. The White Sox then acquired Tristan Peters for cash later in the offseason, and this trade marks the fourth deal between the two teams during the last calendar year.
For the Rays, the deal gives them a versatile infielder with major league experience. For the White Sox, a left-handed relief option to potentially impact a bullpen that’s struggled to find stability at the bottom. The team has shuffled through arms like Brandon Eisert, Tyler Schweitzer, Trevor Richards, and Osvaldo Bido at times throughout the year, with none of them locking down a significant role to this point. Adding a 25 year-old with decent stuff and experience in multiple roles and only giving up a depth infielder without a clear path to the big leagues feels like a no brainer for Chris Getz.
As the White Sox continue to play competitive baseball and hang around in the playoff hunt, look for Getz and the front office to continue to find ways to improve the roster.
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