The Chicago White Sox finally have some young players they can build a competitive team around. However, the front office still must continue adding to a core that includes Miguel Vargas, Edgar Quero, Chase Meidroth, and Shane Smith.
Since Jerry Reinsdorf is essentially guaranteed to own the team through the rest of the decade, the only way GM Chris Getz can add more impact players is through the draft and trades. Reinsdorf will likely never authorize a major free agent spending spree.
Trades are how the Sox got Vargas, Quero, and Meidroth in the first place. It makes the upcoming trade deadline even more important.
Vargas making a swing adjustment this season turned around last year's three-team deal, which now looks really good for the Sox. At first, that trade was looking like a complete disaster. The St. Louis Cardinals got two MLB players in Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham without having to send the White Sox anything back. Michael Kopech helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series while Vargas looked lost at the plate when he arrived on the South Side.
Thankfully, Vargas made a change and his terrible August and September is now water under the bridge.
If the White Sox want to add more players like Vargas, then more veteran players will have to be traded before the 2025 trade deadline. But unlike the past few seasons, there's a good number of White Sox player that I'd like to see the team keep and build around for the future.
Here is who should stay and who should go during the trade deadline frenzy.
Untouchable
Miguel Vargas
Chase Meidroth
Edgar Quero
Shane Smith
Mike Vasil
Kyle Teel
Grant Taylor
Sean Burke
Vargas, Maeidroth, Quero, Smith, and Vasil are all players who have proven they should be considered part of Chicago's core moving forward. Vargas or Smith will probably represent the White Sox at the All-Star Game and Smith might just be the best Rule 5 selection the franchise ever made.
Vasil's long-term role still needs to be fleshed out, but at the very least, he has shown he can pitch in long relief and lock down some innings out of the bullpen. Before Thursday's double head, Vasil had a 1.99 ERA in 45.1 innings pitched.
Teel and Taylor are still in the early stages of their big league careers, but since they are both in the team's Top 10 prospects, there is no way the Sox can give up on them now.
Burke still has to command the ball better and avoid hanging his slider or curveball with runners on. If he can fix those two issues, a rotation can be built around Smith and Burke.
All of these players are under team control through the 2029 season with many of them extending beyond 2030.
Players to think long and hard about before trading
Davis Martin
Jonathan Cannon
Mike Tauchman
Brandon Eisert
Korey Lee
Mike Tauchman might be a shock to some to be given that designation given the fact that he is a 34-year-old outfielder playing for a 100-loss team.
The Sox are in a full rebuild looking to stack assets and a contender could use a professional hitter like Tauchman at the top of the order. However, he still has another year of club control and would be an ideal bridge player in right field until Top 5 prospect Braden Montgomery is ready to take over the job.
Having Tauchman's veteran leadership help guide this young group might provide more value to the rebuild then whatever Chris Getz can get for him in a trade. The youngsters need to learn how to go about their business in the right way, and Tauchman can give them that mentorship. He can always be traded in the offseason or by next year's trade deadline if a great offer comes along.
Trading Davis Martin is another idea has also been floated since he might be the most valuable asset the Sox have and fetch a great return. However, I still think that would be a bad idea because of how much club control is left on his contract.
The White Sox pitching depth took a major hit when a lot of young hurlers needed Tommy John surgery during Spring Training. Add in Taylor being moved to the bullpen for now along with Top 30 prospects Jairo Iriarte and Nick Nastrini no longer being developed into starters, and the long-term starting pitching is suddenly getting thin.
It is better to have guys like Martin and Cannon around to build a solid rotation. If top prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith push Martin or Cannon out of the rotation, then you entertain moving them. But that's a issue you can worry about another time.
Finally, Brandon Eisert has been starting to carve out a nice role in the bullpen, where he might be a long-term fixture. His advanced analytics are really strong and he's the controllable lefty reliever that every good team needs.
While Korey Lee is currently at Triple-A, he is only there because Kyle Teel has more upside and forced his way onto the big league roster with how well he was playing in Charlotte. The positional logjam at catcher creates some belief Lee could be dealt. He is still a capable big league backup. If Matt Thaiss can be traded, so can Lee.
However, maybe the Sox might want to entertain moving Teel or even Lee to first if they cannot find a long-term solution there in the offseason. I think it's better to hang on to Lee for now, just in case. Plus, if Teel struggles to hit, then you can go into next spring training with those two dueling for the backup catcher spot.
Trade as soon as possible
Luis Robert Jr.
Andrew Benintendi
Michael A. Taylor
Austin Slater
Lenyn Sosa
Cam Booser
Steven Wilson
Dan Altavilla
Adrian Houser
Aaron Civale
It has been reported that Aaron Civale is going to be traded before the deadline despite just being acquired in a swap for Andrew Vaughn. If Adrian Houser keeps pitching well like he has been since signing during the season, the team should move him as well, since he would not cost a contender much money.
There is an argument to keep both, much like the team should keep Tauchman. They might provide more value eating innings with guys like Martin and Smith getting close to blowing past their career high in innings already. However, Hauser and Civale are not under club control after next season.
Wins and losses do not matter this year, so if the second half is ugly because the starting pitching is running out of gas, so be it. It's more important to get something for those two since there could be a market, and they will likely be lost for nothing in the offseason.
The front office missed its window to get a great return for Robert Jr. It doesn't look like his bat is going to come around and at this point, the team should get whatever they can and move on.
The Sox likely will not get much for role players such as Austin Slater or Michael A. Taylor, but they might fetch a lottery ticket prospect given Taylor can provide excellent defense off the bench and Slater's career splits against lefties is still respectable.
Trading Benintendi would leave the outfield needing to be filled with the likes of Dominic Fletcher, Corey Julks, Dru Baker, or Zach DeLoach. But if the Sox can find a way to get out of his contract, they should make the deal.
Booser can provide left-handed heat to a contender. He has not given up an earned run in June. Dan Altavilla has not given up an earned run period since joining the White Sox. If he can continue that dominance, he might be enticing. Same thing goes for Steven Wilson (1.99 ERA), who's having a really strong year.
These relievers may not fetch much, but if they can return a mid-level prospect like what the White Sox got for Tanner Banks last season (William Bergolla), it is worth making a deal.
Lenyn Sosa is not hitting for much power, but he has more in the tank than he has shown this season. He comes cheap on a cheap contract and could provide some offense to a contending team that is week on the infield.
Just DFA at some point
Josh Rojas
Vinny Capra
It was worth seeing if they could be something that could be flipped at the deadline, or even provide a bridge until a prospect like Colson Montgomery is ready.
Unfortunately, both Josh Rojas and Vinny Capra are practically automatic outs. No one is going to trade a prospect for those guys and I'd rather see Chicagi give opportunities to younger players.