As the calendar gets later and the White Sox continue to hold a playoff position in the American League, the odds are increasing that GM Chris Getz will look to add talent at the trade deadline. The White Sox biggest need is obvious: pitching of all kinds. The young White Sox offense has been electric at times this season, but the pitching staff has been inconsistent, and reinforcements are needed in both the rotation and the bullpen. Red Sox starter Sonny Gray and closer Aroldis Chapman are two of the most popular names on the market this summer, with both being mentioned as good fits for the White Sox. However, MLB insider Jim Bowden’s latest mock trade might indicate a price that’s outside the White Sox comfort zone.
Former MLB GM Makes 6 BLOCKBUSTER Mock Trades for the 2026 Trade Deadlin... https://t.co/MfuOmqOJJ6 via @YouTube
— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) June 29, 2026
In a podcast with his son, Trey, Bowden proposed a deal between the White Sox and Red Sox that would send both Gray and Chapman to Chicago for three prospects: SS Billy Carlson, OF Jaden Fasuke, and RHP Mason Adams. Yeah, that’s steep. Billy Carlson, the White Sox first-round pick from 2025, ranks as the 5th-best prospect on MLB Pipeline. Fauske, the team’s second-round pick in the same draft, ranks 7th, and Adams ranks 11th. Trading away three prospects in your top 12 for a pair of pitchers with limited control would be a ridiculous overpay. Gray has a mutual option for 2027, but those types of options are rarely exercised in MLB, so he’s likely to be a free agent at the end of the year. Aroldis Chapman has an option that'll vest when he reaches 40 innings pitched this season, which he is likely to do, but 2027 is his final year under control.
Gray and Chapman would be great additions to the White Sox at the right price
Don’t hear me saying the White Sox should avoid Gray and Chapman in trades. Despite being 36 years-old, Gray has posted an impressive 2.69 ERA in 15 starts for the Red Sox this season. He’s one of the stronger veteran options on the market, and he’s pitched on competitive teams before. Gray has made the postseason with three different teams and has a 3.26 playoff ERA in six starts, giving him experience in those big situations. He’d be a valuable addition to a White Sox staff that needs a reliable veteran arm.
Aroldis Chapman is 38 years-old, but his 2.19 ERA this season and 1.17 mark last season prove he still has more left in the tank. He’s been one of the premiere high-leverage relievers in baseball for a long time, and he’s pitched in the postseason in nine different seasons of his illustrious career, including winning the 2016 World Series with the Cubs. Chapman has a 2.26 ERA in over 50 innings in the playoffs and would provide another elite late-inning option to pair with Grant Taylor in the White Sox bullpen.
There’s no doubt about the quality of these players, but adding Chapman and Gray provides little future value for the White Sox, so they’d essentially be going all-in on 2026. I’m not saying rentals should be off the table, but trading away three of your top 12 prospects for rentals doesn’t seem like the optimal approach. If the White Sox are going to move a top prospect like Billy Carlson or Jaden Fauske, they should target a controllable arm like Reid Detmers rather than a player who will only help them for two months. On the other side of the aisle, if this is the Red Sox asking price for Gray and Chapman, they’re probably going to have a hard time finding a taker for them. There’s virtually zero incentive for Boston to hang on to either player unless they believe they can get back into the playoff hunt.
All in all, I like both of these targets for the White Sox, but they shouldn’t pay anywhere close to the price speculated in Bowden’s mock trade. If Chris Getz trades away multiple top ten prospects and only receives Gray and Chapman in return, White Sox fans will be calling for his job, and they’d be justified in doing so. Will the White Sox make only marginal upgrades or will they make a big splash at this year’s deadline? We’ll know the answer in just a few weeks.
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