MLB rumors: 5 dark horse trade destinations for Blake Snell

1. Chicago White Sox

With the AL Central ripe for the taking, the White Sox got aggressive last offseason. They fell just one game short of winning the division (35-25), but their return to the postseason was short with a Wild Card series loss to Oakland.

Criticism of the hire is easy, and even well-warranted for a number of reasons, but the White Sox pushed themselves into a short, win-now window with Tony LaRussa coming back to be the manager. So moves along that line are in order, as the South Siders try to further payoff a rebuild that was done the right way in most respects.

Lucas Giolito has become a legit No. 1 starter. Dallas Keuchel posted a 1.99 ERA while being a steady veteran presence in 2020. Dylan Cease, Dane Dunning and Carlos Rodon (if he can stay healthy) would likely round out the rotation heading into 2021.

MLB.com ranked the White Sox farm system No. 6 in baseball in the middle of last season. They are mid-pack in projected payroll for 2021 right now, so there’s theoretically some room to add.

The opportunity to add Snell can’t be turned way from for a lot of teams. The White Sox in particular can offer prospects some other suitors can’t, and they’ve essentially declared they are focused on right now by hiring LaRussa.