With the Chicago White Sox obviously in sell mode as the trade deadline approaches, the majority of the focus has been on Luis Robert Jr.
Robert’s traded status and value will certainly be interesting to monitor this week, but Luis is far from the only trade chip on the White Sox roster. Veterans like Aaron Civale, Adrian Houser, Austin Slater, Mike Tauchman, and Steven Wilson will certainly be coming up in trade discussions as well.
But according to a recent report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the White Sox have also received heavy trade interest in rookie right-handed pitcher Grant Taylor.
Teams are "all over" the White Sox about Grant Taylor
Per Rosenthal, teams are “all over” the White Sox about rookie reliever Grant Taylor.
Taylor, 23, entered the season firmly among the Top 10 prospects in the White Sox organization, and was somewhat controversially transitioned to a bullpen role at the Double-A level.
After dominating the minor league competition, the White Sox opted to bring Taylor straight to Chicago and bypass Triple-A. Taylor has made 16 appearances out of the White Sox bullpen, where he holds a 4.66 ERA.
Grant Taylor has had bad luck in 2025
Taylor has gotten incredibly unlucky this season. His numbers are worse than they should be, given his underlying advanced metrics.
Taylor’s xERA (expected ERA) is 2.06, and his 99 MPH average fastball velocity is one of the best in baseball. He is also elite in barrel rate, strikeout percentage, expected batting average, and ground ball percentage.
Grant Taylor misses bats and generates soft contact on the ground. Some bad luck and bad defense has let him down so far this season.
The White Sox don't want to trade him
Rosenthal later noted that the White Sox are “uncomfortable” with the idea of trading Taylor for two reasons. They like what he’s brought to their bullpen in 2025 and they haven’t ruled out the possibility of converting him back to a starting pitcher in the future.
Grant Taylor 💯 pic.twitter.com/iPHeVD7b6D
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 28, 2025
Given the White Sox position as a rebuilding club, they should be approaching this trade deadline with the long-term approach in mind.
Taylor is just 23 years-old and has a full six years remaining of club control, so actively looking to move him doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Should the White Sox consider moving Grant Taylor?
I’m a big believer in always listening, and I don’t believe anyone is ever truly untouchable for the right offer, especially in the case of a primary reliever.
Relievers in Major League Baseball are historically volatile, and their success level can heavily vary from year to year. Although Taylor has the potential to be one of baseball’s elite closers, it’s far from a guarantee.
If a team offered, say, two top hitting prospects that are close to the Major Leagues, it’s something I think Chris Getz should consider. The White Sox need to add bats to their farm system, and Luis Robert Jr.'s down season may cause them to not get as much of a return for him as they once hoped.
Giving away a guy with the potential of Taylor would be tough, but it’s generally much easier to find quality relievers than quality hitters, so the opportunity to get multiple quality hitters might be too good to pass up.
If the White Sox plan for Grant Taylor involves moving him back to the starting rotation, that’s an entirely different story. Health is going to be the key, but Grant Taylor’s stuff is certainly good enough to make him a top-of-the-rotation starter in the White Sox rotation.
It’s very possible that using him in the bullpen was the way to manage his innings this season while getting him some Major League experience, and the Sox may have every intention of moving him back into the rotation next year. In that case, I probably wouldn’t be as willing to move a guy like Taylor as the Sox begin to improve the major league roster.
It’ll certainly be interesting to see who stays and who goes from the suddenly-hot White Sox roster. Ultimately, I think it’s unlikely that Getz chooses to part with a controllable asset like Taylor, but anything is possible. I’ve been surprised before, and I’m sure I will be again.