The White Sox made their first deal of what is expected to be a busy week Sunday night, and it’s not one that’s going to excite too many fans. The team announced that they acquired RHP Jose Urquidy from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for ACL right-hander Felix Doroteo. On the surface, it looks like they’ve simply added an extra arm to prove depth down the stretch, but a deeper look reveals another possibility.
In Urquidy, the White Sox land a 31-year-old veteran who has pitched in three World Series as a member of the Houston Astros. At his best, Urquidy was a reliable mid-rotation starter. He posted a 3.62 ERA in 20 starts for the 2021 Astros and a 3.94 mark in 29 outings the following season. A Tommy John surgery in 2024 ended Urquidy’s Astros tenure, and he joined the Detroit Tigers in 2025, but made just two appearances. Urquidy signed a minor league deal with the Pirates this season and made five appearances in relief, getting roughed up to the tune of an 8.53 ERA before being sent to Triple-A. He posted a 3.66 ERA in 17 Triple-A starts before being designated for assignment earlier this week. James Fegan of Sox Machine has reported that Uquidy will be assigned to Triple-A Charlotte to begin his White Sox tenure.
Can confirm White Sox are acquiring RHP José Urquidy from the Pirates, as @ByRobertMurray reported. Sounds like he’s heading to Triple-A for now.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) July 26, 2026
In Doroteo, the White Sox send Pittsburgh a 21-year-old reliever with loud physical tools, but control issues. Doroteo has a 4.50 ERA in 18 innings for the ACL White Sox this season. It’s essentially a lottery ticket for the Pirates, who accepted it in lieu of losing Urquidy for nothing.
Jose Urquidy trade could allow the White Sox to make a bigger move
This move could simply be what it appears on the surface: a trade to add more pitching depth to Triple-A Charlotte. But with just a week to go until the trade deadline, it may mean more than that. The White Sox are in a strong position to be buyers in the next week, with needs in the starting rotation, bullpen, and behind the plate. It’s unclear to this point whether they will target cheap rentals or prioritize more costly controllable additions. Of the White Sox top tradable assets, young starters Noah Schultz, David Sandlin, and Mason Adams come to mind as players that could interest other teams. While trading away young pitching to get more pitching sounds counterproductive, the White Sox need reliable innings down the stretch, and they simply can’t trust the young arms to provide it.
If the team were to move a player like Sandlin or Adams, it would open up a rotation spot in Charlotte, but also take away from the major league depth. Adding an arm like Urquidy, who has a history of solid performance at the big league level, could help soften the blow of dealing away young starting pitching. With several top prospects, like Tanner McDougal and Hagen Smith, temporarily stepping into bullpen roles in order to help the big league team quicker, starter innings in the minor leagues are a valuable commodity. Dealing away from that area may not be possible without reinforcements, and Urquidy provides just that.
With very few trades already made, it remains to be seen how this year’s trade market will play out. One thing is for sure, however. The White Sox will be exploring many avenues to make their team better, and I expect them to make multiple trades in the next seven days. Just how aggressive they’ll be, only time will tell.
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