The Chicago White Sox are near the bottom of the MLB standings with a roster of players that would generate significant interest from around the league. However, recent MLB trade rumors hint at a conservative approach by the team this summer.
Chicago is near the bottom of the AL Central and far out of the MLB playoff picture with slim odds of playing in October. In the midst of another disappointing season, with the club poised to finish with a losing record, changes are expected.
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The White Sox would have the option of beginning a total rebuild. A lineup that includes Dylan Cease, Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert, Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal would provide Chicago with significant trade capital to reload its farm system and prepare for the future. However, that doesn’t seem to be the team’s plan this summer.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the White Sox have told buyers around the league that they’ll likely only be willing to trade players on expiring contracts.
It means Anderson, Cease and All-Star closer Liam Hendriks will likely remain on the roster past the Aug. 1 trade deadline. While Chicago could receive significantly more in return for its top players with multiple years of contract control, it appears focused on simply offloading expiring contracts.
If the front office commits to the approach, starting pitchers Lucas Giolito and Mike Clevinger along with Grandal will likely be the only players on the trade block this summer. History has proven that teams who trade half-season rentals rarely receive a significant return.
Grandal will still generate some interest for teams willing to sacrifice defense and pitch framing behind the plate. However, as we saw with Willson Contreras last season, teams are extremely weary about trading for a catcher during the season and getting him settled in with a new pitching staff.
As for Giolito, the 6-foot-6 righty holds a 3.54 ERA through his first 14 starts this season, striking out 24.9 percent of batters faced with a 1.18 WHIP and .230 batting average allowed. Teams will likely view him as a No. 3 starter for their playoff rotation.
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