After the Chicago White Sox’s 9-4 loss to the Houston Astros, White Sox fans are frustrated that the team traded away Nick Madrigal for Craig Kimbrel.
While the July 30 trade for Trea Turner and Max Scherzer worked out for the Los Angeles Dodgers, another last-minute blockbuster trade hasn’t fared as well among baseball fans.
On the last day of the 2021 trade deadline, the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs traded key players across the city that may have affected their playoff runs. Cubs pitcher Craig Kimbrel went to the White Sox, while second baseman Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer went to the Cubs.
The Cubs landed near the bottom of the NL Central with a 71-91 record, while the White Sox dominated the AL Central with 93-69. But that July 30 trade may have just cut the White Sox postseason short.
MADRIGAL AND HEUER. THANKS SOX.
— Payton J. Havermann (@paytonisnotroll) October 8, 2021
At the time of the trade, Kimbrel was considered “arguably the best reliever in baseball over the course of the season.”
White Sox fans would have preferred Nick Madrigal over Craig Kimbrel
Bleacher Nation’s Brett Taylor described exactly how the White Sox-Astros ALDS game got out of hand with Kimbrel on the mound:
“Entering into a messy situation in the 7th inning of today’s ALDS Game Two against the Astros, Kimbrel was tasked with keeping the Astros lead to just one. With one out and two runners on, Kimbrel was able to record an out upon entering, but then gave up a rocket double and a rocket home run to put the game out of reach.”
The outcome led to fans pining for their former second baseman and pitcher, who both debuted in the 2020 season.
Give us Madrigal back..
— Lauren Lapka (@LaurenLapka) October 8, 2021
Craig Kimbrel is trash. I called it from the beginning. Hope you all are happy who wanted Madrigal gone so badly. Wear it.
— Courtney Finnicum (@courtney883) October 8, 2021
Others argued that despite today’s outcome, it doesn’t mean that the trade was necessarily a bad one for the White Sox.
I see some are coming for Rick Hahn’s head for the Kimbrel for Madrigal/Heuer trade. If you didn’t have a problem with it at the time is it really odd to sh*t on him now when the results aren’t favorable. I get on Hahn for plenty but it is not his fault for Kimbrel’s performance
— Herb Lawrence (@Ecnerwal23) October 8, 2021
Don't worry. Madrigal wouldn't have helped much today either.
— uncle baby billy (@Keelin_12ft) October 8, 2021
Currently, the White Sox have a $16 million option on Kimbrel through 2022.