They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer. The Sox followed this advice on Thursday as they traded for former Cleveland Guardians' right fielder Nolan Jones and cash in exchange for $250,000 in international bonus pool money.
White Sox have acquired OF Nolan Jones and cash considerations from Cleveland in exchange for $250,000 in International Pool money. Jones will report to Class AAA Charlotte on a minor-league deal.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) June 12, 2026
Those of you out there screaming for pitching help, I hear you. With the stack of prospects the team still has in the minors, I think that's coming. For now, the Southsiders need some depth in the outfield. While Everson Pereira has returned to the lineup Austin Hays is out until early July at the earliest with a calf injury, and Brooks Baldwin is out for the rest of this season. The team traded Derek Hill and essentially replaced him with Jones, who has been optioned to Charlotte. In searching for some insurance, the Sox may have gotten a potential bargain.
A former second round pick of the Guardians in 2016, Jones made his major league debut in July 2022. Cleveland traded him to Colorado for infielder Juan Brito in November and, while they didn't know it yet, caught lightning in a bottle in 2023. That season, Jones shined. In 106 games, he ended the season with a line of .297/.389/.542. He finished fourth in the National League Rookie-of-the-Year voting and became the first Rockies' rookie to go 20-20. According to FanGraphs, Jones had a WAR of 3.7, good enough for 18th among players who appeared in at least 100 games. Over a full season, that would be good enough for 5.7 WAR.
Jones hasn't been the same hitter since his 2023 breakout
The next season didn't quite go the same. In an injury-plagued 2024 campaign during which he only played in 79 games, Jones managed just 3 home runs and a .641 OPS. In March 2025, the Rockies dealt him back to Cleveland for Tyler Freeman. Unfortunately, last year went about the same for Jones with a line of .211/.296/.304 and only five home runs before ending up on the IL with a right oblique strain. After re-signing with the Guardians on a minor league deal, Jones spent this year at AAA Columbus. Triple-A statistic are not the same, but Jones has looked strong. In 52 games, Jones smacked eight long balls and nine doubles to go along with a strong line of .275/.385/.460.
For the White Sox, Jones may be the next man up in the event of another injury in the outfield. There's no clear spot on the roster for him right now, but with more than half the season still remaining, there's a decent chance he'll be needed at some point.
The question is: has Jones figured it out again? Or was he just able to overwhelm AAA pitching? The Guardians couldn't afford to find out with a logjam of outfield prospects, including Rookie of the Year candidate Chase DeLauter. While the plate production may have fluctuated the last few seasons, Jones has always combined a good batting eye with a strong arm in the outfield. Only time will tell to see if he a chance to show those skills in the Big Leagues once more.
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