How the White Sox can attack the trade deadline to keep the Southsiders in contention

Back in March, oddsmakers had the Chicago White Sox’s projected win total at 67.5, and I suggested taking the under. Shows what oddsmakers and Jake know. The White Sox entered Saturday leading the AL Central, and they’re poised to buy ahead of the trade deadline. Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery, and Tristan Peters headline a young core that has looked right at home all season. And, of course, we can’t forget about rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami.

Considering that the White Sox are only two years removed from a 41-121 season, I’d be shocked if Will Venable isn’t the overwhelming AL Manager of the Year winner.

However, the White Sox aren’t done yet, and adding a backup outfielder or veteran reliever won’t be enough to boost their World Series odds. We’ve tried to identify realistic trade options, and these moves aren’t ranked in a particular order. 

Call the Yankees about an Oswaldo Cabrera trade

Cabrera has seemingly fallen out of favor with the Yankees, spending much of the season at Triple-A. His versatility and starting experience at third base should appeal to the White Sox, even with Miguel Vargas enjoying a career season. It never hurts to have depth, especially with how young the overall roster is. 

As for what the White Sox would need to give up, my first thought was Andrew Benintendi, who played for the Yankees in 2022. However, Benintendi has been worth 0.3 bWAR with a .704 OPS since the start of 2023, and he’s under contract through next year. Yikes. 

Would the Twins move Royce Lewis and Bailey Ober within the AL Central?

Ober, who turned 31 earlier this month, has two years of team control remaining. Interestingly, his walk rate has increased and his strikeout rate has gone down, but he’s nonetheless cut his ERA from 5.10 to 4.32. He’s a fine middle-of-the-rotation starter at best, though that’d be enough for the White Sox amid their playoff push.

As for Lewis, he’s hitting .216 with 10 homers, 29 RBIs, and a .685 OPS. By no means would he be a flashy addition, and several of his underlying statistics are admittedly concerning. But the White Sox could do worse in finding a stopgap designated hitter, and Lewis is under team control through 2029. Perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what he needs.  

The Twins have been competitive and are tied for the AL’s third and final Wild Card spot. Sticking it out with Lewis and Ober, though, isn’t worth it if they can land a top-30 prospect from the White Sox. 

Stay far away from Francisco Lindor, Rafael Devers, and any massive contracts

Just because the White Sox have areas to address doesn’t mean they need to seek out a blockbuster. Lindor might sound tempting as a possible long-term DH, but his lack of leadership and him being under contract through 2031 should convince the White Sox to look elsewhere. The same applies to Devers and his fellow Giants teammates, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames.

I would avoid those kinds of players if I were running the White Sox. Some, like Lindor and Devers, come with character concerns and could derail a team that appears to have begun the next chapter of their rebuild. Others, including Chapman, Adames, and the Padres’ Xander Bogaerts, are getting older and have their contracts working against them.

Pursue Luke Weaver at all costs

Weaver has been phenomenal for the Mets and is arguably their top trade chip, entering July 18 with a 2.03 ERA. He turns 33 in August and has plenty of playoff experience from his time with the Yankees.

We’ll see how much the Mets attempt to charge teams for Weaver, especially given David Stearns and Steve Cohen’s general lack of awareness. But if the White Sox can convince the Mets to part ways with Weaver for an affordable asking price, then we suggest they move quickly. 

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