Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Chicago White Sox have surged to first place in the AL Central and face a pivotal decision point with their playoff push.
- Four specific trade targets could dramatically upgrade their pitching staff, balancing immediate help with future control.
- The debate centers on whether to prioritize depth, experience, or high-impact rentals as the trade deadline approaches.
The Chicago White Sox might be more than just a fun story, folks. They've won three in a row, defeating the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves twice in succession before dominating the back-to-back defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the tune of an 8-2 win on Friday night. They did all of this without star slugger Munetaka Murakami, by the way.
Chicago is now 37-31, good for sole possession of first place in the AL Central, and they have the third-easiest remaining strength of schedule in the league. At a certain point, we need to consider the fact that the White Sox should be buyers and attempt to actually make the playoffs this year. While this doesn't mean they should go all-in to trade for Tarik Skubal or anything, there are some moves the White Sox should consider as they push towards October.
LHP Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels
It's no secret that this White Sox team needs pitching more than anything else. Davis Martin has broken out and Sean Burke has been a pleasant surprise, but there isn't really anyone else to fully trust in the rotation, especially with Noah Schultz on the IL and top prospect Hagen Smith still in Triple-A. Reid Detmers can change that, though.
Detmers feels like the perfect White Sox trade candidate for a variety of reasons. He's under control through 2028, so he wouldn't be a rental. He's not an ace, so he wouldn't cost the White Sox the absolute best prospects in their system. There's also reason to believe that there's room for growth.
Detmers' 4.00 ERA might not light up the screen, but he has a 2.87 xERA and a 2.87 FIP. He's been the victim of some brutal Angels defense behind him, and his 10.8 strikeouts per nine lead the American League. There's some clear untapped potential here, and that, plus multiple years of control, makes the lefty a dream target.
RHP Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers
Detmers is a bit of a white whale, though, as he wouldn't come cheap and I'm not convinced the Angels, even if they should tear the whole thing down and rebuild, will actually do so. But the Detroit Tigers might not have the same choice with Casey Mize.
The Tigers, even with winning seven of their last 10 games, are 29-41 on the year, 9.0 games back of the White Sox in the AL Central. They're still alive in the Wild Card race thanks to an incredibly weak AL, but can this team really justify keeping Skubal when it's nowhere near .500? The White Sox shouldn't be in the Skubal sweepstakes, but if Detroit is willing to trade Skubal, they'd almost certainly make Casey Mize available, too.
Mize isn't Skubal, but he quietly has a 2.27 ERA in nine starts with advanced metrics to back up that mark. The right-hander was an All-Star last season and has been even better in 2026. Even if he isn't an ace, he'd be one of, if not the best starting pitcher on this staff, and his expiring contract makes it so that the White Sox wouldn't have to trade a haul to acquire him.
LHP Robbie Ray, San Francisco Giants
Mize is a better pitcher than Robbie Ray in 2026, but there's a chance that the Tigers won't want to trade the righty to their division rival. In that case, Ray wouldn't be a bad fallback at all — in fact, it could be argued that the veteran with tons of experience makes even more sense for Chicago.
This rotation is young and inexperienced. Martin, Burke and Anthony Kay, their three best starters right now, have combined for a grand total of zero postseason innings. Ray, on the other hand, has six appearances (two starts) and 13.1 innings under his belt. He's also in his 13th MLB season, while those three have combined for 13 seasons.
Ray is not the Cy Young-caliber arm he was a few years ago, but he was an All-Star last season and is, at the absolute worst, an innings-eater who will keep his team in games most of the time he takes the mound. Even with a 4.42 ERA, he's allowed three earned runs or fewer in all but three of his outings.
Ray wouldn't cost much to acquire at all as a 34-year-old rental, and he's probably a more realistic target than Mize given that he plays in the National League.
LHP Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox
The White Sox's bullpen has been better than expected. There were reasons to expect good things from guys like Seranthony Dominguez and Grant Taylor, but the emergence of Bryan Hudson and Sean Newcomb has made the bullpen better and deeper than anticipated. That doesn't mean the White Sox can't use a reinforcement, though, and Aroldis Chapman would make this 'pen that much better.
Admittedly, this might be a bit of a pipe dream, as Chapman figures to be the best reliever available and every contending team will express interest. But his rental status and his age (38) might impact the level of prospect(s) needed to acquire him, and for the right price, Chapman would be a fantastic addition.
A late-game trio of Dominguez, Taylor and Chapman would be tough for any team to beat in October, and would be incredibly fun to watch. Again, I don't necessarily see the White Sox doing this, but this could be the most impactful move available to them without dismantling their farm system.
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