Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Chicago White Sox unexpectedly lead the AL Central, powered by a stellar young core and general manager Chris Getz's aggressive rebuilding strategy.
- Trading star left-hander Garrett Crochet brought back high-impact prospects like Braden Montgomery, who hit a walk-off homer in his major league debut.
- This rapid success forces the front office to balance immediate 2026 postseason upgrades with preserving long-term talent for a sustained winning window.
The Chicago White Sox are an absolute blast. They currently lead the American League Central (35-31) and have one of the most exciting young cores in baseball, headlined by Munetaka Murakami and now Braden Montgomery, who had a walkoff homer in his major-league debut against the Atlanta Braves. The job that Chris Getz has done as general manager has been nothing short of amazing, and it’s time that the White Sox get talked about (a lot) more nationally.
A key to the White Sox’s success, and the reason it’s sustainable, is because of the Garrett Crochet trade. At the time, he was an ascending star left-hander who was drawing interest from a wide range of teams. Getz turned it into catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and right-handed pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez.
At the time, the White Sox knew parting with Crochet hurt. But they were incredibly optimistic about the return. And when I asked Getz about the return at the GM meetings, he said the organization was even higher on the return than at the time of the trade. After seeing Montgomery’s debut and what he’s done in the minors, it’s not hard to see why.
Which leads us to this season. With the White Sox in first place, the conversation has shifted toward the trade deadline. Chris Getz had been adamant that the White Sox were thinking beyond this season. But Getz has now indicated to the media that the success of this team has him considering upgrades to the 2026 roster.
Which, yes, I love that. This team has earned that right to compete in 2026. But Getz and the front office also must have a long-term view here and not sell premium prospects for a chance to win now.
Who could the White Sox target at the MLB trade deadline?
So if the White Sox add at the deadline, it should be someone who is controllable for multiple years, and there are a few different ways that they can achieve that. They can add a starting pitcher to the rotation now, bump Erick Fedde to the bullpen, and have a starter for the next couple seasons. They can add another bat, perhaps another outfielder, considering the merry-go-round of outfielders they’ve had ranging from Randal Grichuk to Jarred Kelenic, among others. They could go for bullpen help. They can add another reliever. Maybe they can do multiple of those things.
It remains to be seen who will even be available come the deadline, though Tarik Skubal should not be an option for the White Sox. But among the teams that are likely to sell include the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies and perhaps the New York Mets. Perhaps they can snag a pitcher from the Red Sox or, say, a Reid Detmers from the Angels or a Michael Wacha from the Royals. Maybe an outfielder with one of those teams. Who knows. Surely Getz will explore anything.
Regardless of how the deadline plays out, the White Sox have been a resounding success. This feels like the start of a sustained window of success for the organization. And the Montgomery walk-off home run further underscored it.
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