MLB Rumors: 5 likeliest White Sox trade candidates and where they should land

The Chicago White Sox look like a team that won’t be making a return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. Here are five of the team’s most likely trade candidates.

The Chicago White Sox looked like a team that could do some damage in the postseason just a couple of years ago. Yet, they were eliminated by the Oakland Athletics in the Wild Card Round in 2020, and the Houston Astros in the Division Series in 2021. The team vastly underperformed expectations last season, finishing a disappointing 81-81 and missing out on the postseason altogether.

This offseason, the White Sox brought in a new manager in Pedro Grifol, and added names like Mike Clevinger and Andrew Benintendi, hoping that these moves would turn their luck around. Yet, as of June 19, the White Sox are sitting in fourth place in a bad AL Central division with a 31-42 record. Luckily for them, they are still in striker’s distance to the first-place Minnesota Twins, who are 36-36. With the trade deadline being on Aug. 1, the White Sox have over a month to determine if buying for a postseason berth or selling to build for the future is the best route for them.

If the White Sox were to sell, who would be the most likely candidates?

According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), the White Sox have told potential trade partners that as of now, they are only looking to trade players who are on expiring contracts and who aren’t under greater team control. Some of the potential rental options that Rosenthal lists include Lucas Giolito, Mike Clevinger, Yasmani Grandal, Reynaldo Lopez, and Keynan Middleton.

With these potential trade candidates, we’re going to take a crack at where they should land by the trade deadline.

MLB Rumors: 5 likeliest White Sox trade candidates and where they should land, No. 5: Yasmani Grandal to the Padres

Yes, the San Diego Padres took a flyer on Gary Sanchez, and he has rewarded them with six home runs through 18 games played. No one saw this coming, considering he was waived by the New York Mets not too long ago. But, the question that remains is, “Is this run sustainable?” History has shown that that’s not the case with Sanchez, who is a home run-or-bust that strikes out…a lot.

Let’s say that Sanchez’s run of productive at-bats reaches its end. If that’s the case, the Padres have a desperate need for the catcher position. Austin Nola is slashing .147/.267/.198 through 46 games played this season, while Luis Campusano is on the 60-day injured list due to a left thumb injury.

Enter Yasmani Grandal.

This season, Grandal has put up respectable numbers in the batter’s box. Through 58 games played, Grandal recorded a .268 batting average, a .325 on-base percentage, a .402 slugging percentage, five home runs, 15 runs scored, 18 RBI, and 52 hits. In 47 games as a catcher, Grandal posted a .995 fielding percentage with 413 putouts, 15 assists, and two errors in 430 total chances.

If the Padres want to make a push for a World Series appearance, which they were three wins short of last year, they need to have a complete roster and for their stars to step up. They should prioritize getting a quality starting catcher like Grandal.