The Chicago White Sox have a bevy of talent that they can part with at this summer’s deadline to get additional pieces to build upon, but will they use this approach?
The Major League Baseball trade deadline is fast approaching. It’s going to be here on July 30, 2024, and if last year is an indication, the Chicago White Sox could be sellers. They may decide to trade away some of their better pieces, what few they have, to get some additional talent for their farm system and build from within. That’s the likely scenario.
Which of the several players that the White Sox could trade might they let walk before or at the trade deadline? With how this season is going, it seems anyone is fair game. The White Sox could consider retaining a couple of key players, guys like Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi. Vaughn is a fan favorite and Benintendi might be worth another couple of years to the Sox. Plus, Benintendi may not be worth a big return to interested teams.
How the White Sox Should Approach the 2024 Trade Deadline
Who Could Be Traded?
If you look at the Sox roster as it stands right now, there are several guys that they could trade away and get a good return for. These players include the consistent hitter Tommy Pham, staff co-ace Erick Fedde, Corey Julks, Garrett Crochet, Michael Kopech, and Luis Robert Jr. It’s safe to say that any of these guys could find a new home between now and the trade deadline.
The #Padres are “pursuing” #WhiteSox SP Garrett Crochet, per @Ken_Rosenthal
Crochet, 24, is under team control through the 2026 season. pic.twitter.com/sOT0j8XS3w
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) June 4, 2024
Some of these guys are stop-gap guys who could be around until a minor-league player is ready to come up and take over. There isn’t much in the minor leagues for outstanding outfielders right now, but there are some infielders and pitchers who are moving up and starting to look good. These guys may make players like Crochet and the other pitchers expendable.
Looking Towards the Future
The White Sox are building for the future, not the here and now. They want to be good in the future. That means trading away some of their current big-league assets to get better minor-league depth. They might as well try to get what they can for the guys they have right now. If they traded away all of the guys that were mentioned above, they could get quite a haul of minor-league players. They would mostly be lower-level developmental guys, but they could get a significant amount of talent for their better players. But do they really want to do that?
If this team wants to win in the future, they have a lot of work to do. Getting key pieces to help them complete some pieces to their puzzle would be highly advisable for the White Sox. If they want to win in the future, they need to use this deadline as an opportunity to improve their long-term forecast. That means doing so with the players and the coaches that they currently have. Some of the players need to go, as do some of the coaches. Only then will the Sox improve.
What Does Chicago Do?
In the end, the White Sox need players to help them get better in the future. They need to get as much help as possible. The Sox are the worst team in MLB this year. It looks like they aren’t going to be consistent winners any time soon, perhaps even next year. That means they must look ahead. Letting some of their best players go in a trade is probably the best way for them to get to where they want to go, that is, winning games and becoming long-term contenders.
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