Fansided

3 prospects the Chicago White Sox could trade for Blake Snell

By Brad Berreman

Oct 5, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell (4) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning in game one of the 2020 ALDS at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell (4) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning in game one of the 2020 ALDS at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

As multiple teams consider a deal for Blake Snell, the Chicago White Sox could part with these 3 prospects.

The Chicago White made some aggressive moves last offseason, in an effort to push themselves out of rebuild mode in 2020. They made the playoffs with second in the AL Central with a 35-25 record, before bowing out of the postseason in three games to the Oakland Athletics.

The thanks manager Rick Renteria got for his effort in the White Sox rebuild was to be relieved of his duties. In his place is 76-year old Tony La Russa, who is coming back for a second stint as manager of the Pale Hose. So naturally, the White Sox are in a win-now window will La Russa is back in the dugout.

The Tampa Bay Rays are a well-run organization, but they are also necessarily frugal. Left-hander Blake Snell won the AL Cy Young Award in 2018, and he remains one of the better starters in baseball. But he’s also making a lot of money, $39 million over the next three years, so it’s not entirely shocking the Rays have let other teams know they are open to trading him.

With those years of team control left, the Rays should get a solid bounty of prospects or controllable young talent for Snell.

As the White Sox consider a deal for Snell to pair him with Lucas Giolito as the 1-2 atop their starting rotation, they could consider parting with these three prospects.

3 prospects the White Sox could trade for Blake Snell

128. Scouting Report. MLB. 3. player. Dane Dunning. Pick Analysis. RHP

Dunning, a first-round pick out of the University of Florida in 2016, made his major league debut in 2020 and pitched well (3.97 ERA, 9.3 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 over seven starts-34 innings). He seems to have a bright future in the White Sox rotation.

That said, a look at the White Sox sixth-ranked farm system at the midway point of last season paints a picture of pitching assets. With 2020 draft picks Garrett Crochet and Jared Kelley in the mix, six of their top-8 prospects (as ranked by MLB.com) are pitchers (including Dunning at No. 5). Crochet also pitched for them last season, making five regular season appearances in relief.

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn can easily cash in young arms for win-now players without thinning the system’s pitching depth. In order to get Snell to the South Side, Dunning might be a worthwhile cost.

Home/Chicago White Sox