Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The White Sox and Guardians remain tied atop the AL Central with nearly identical records at the season's midpoint.
- Both teams have clear paths to improve through trades, with pitching upgrades for Chicago and offensive firepower needed in Cleveland.
- The proposed deals involve two teams looking to sell and could reshape the division race with one-month remaining until the deadline.
The White Sox and Guardians are in a dead heat at the top of the American League Central standings following Monday night’s thriller in which Sam Anotnacci’s two-run single enabled Chicago to walk off Cleveland 5-4 at Rate Field.
The White Sox’s record is 40-37, and the Guardians are 41-38, but each team has a .519 winning percentage. The upstart White Sox and two-time defending division champion Guardians seemed poised to be in the pennant race all season, though the Minnesota Twins are lurking at 3 ½ games back.
The two co-leaders could bolster their chances of winning the division crown by making trades with two teams that would consider selling.
A trade the White Sox should make
The White Sox will be challenged to reach the postseason if they don’t upgrade their pitching staff, both in the rotation and bullpen. The White Sox’s 4.41 ERA ranks 20th in the major leagues and is more than a half-run worse than the Guardians’ 3.79.
Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Wacha would fill the White Sox’s rotation anchor role. He is in his 14th season in the major leagues and has had a solid year, posting a 4-5 record and a 3.64 ERA in 15 starts.
Adding to Wacha’s attractiveness is that he is under contract through next season, with a club option in 2028. His salary is a reasonable $14 million for both seasons.
The Royals don’t expect to land a premium prospect for Wacha, so an offer of Triple-A left-hander Shane Murphy and High-A outfielder George Wolkow could get a deal done. Wolkow, a 6-foot-7 left-handed hitter with plus power, is ranked as the White Sox’s 19th-best prospect by Baseball America, and Murphy is No. 28.
A trade the Guardians need to make
The Guardians are 28th in MLB in runs scored with an average of 3.97 runs per game. Cleveland has shown it can overcome a weak offense because of its consistently good pitching time and again, but star third baseman Jose Ramirez will be sidelined another month while recovering from surgery to remove the broken hamate bone from his left hand.
Scoring under four runs per game is a hard way to live, especially minus Ramirez’s bat, and the Guardians’ lack of power has been costly in the postseason,
President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti needs to pull the trigger on a trade for a thumper. A good partner for an old-fashioned challenge trade is the Orioles, as the Guardians could send Triple-A left-hander Logan Allen to pitching-needy Baltimore for outfielder Tyler Ward.
Ward’s first season with the Orioles has been disappointing from a power standpoint as he has hit just four home runs in AL-leading 369 plate appearances to go with a .255/.393/.355 slash. Ward is still getting base as he has 64 walks, and it is hard to imagine his power is completely gone following a 32-homer season for the Los Angeles Angels last year. The Guardians would not need to make a long-term commitment as Ward’s contract expires at the end of the season.
Allen is squeezed off the major-league roster because of the Guardians’ strong rotation. However, Allen is 27 and had a decent showing with the Guardians in 2025, going 8-11 with a 4.25 ERA in 30 games.
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