One prospect White Sox should demand in any trade with Dodgers, Padres or Mariners

There's a very good chance that the Chicago White Sox will be the most active team at this year's trade deadline. At 21-60, Chicago boasts the worst record in the majors by far, making them the most obvious sellers come late July.

You'd have to think with this team being so far away from competing for anything, anyone on the MLB roster is going to be available. That includes young stars like Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet. While the White Sox don't have to trade either player, doing so now can give them a chance to get a return for them when their value is at its peak.

Ken Rosenthal, Patrick Mooney and Katie Woo of The Athletic ($) are reporting that the White Sox have assigned their top scouts to focus on the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners farm systems.

All three of those teams have strong farm systems, but the White Sox need to ensure that they're pursuing the right prospects. Here's one prospect from each of those teams that the White Sox must get if Robert and/or Crochet is dealt to any of those teams.

3. The White Sox should demand Cole Young in any trade with the Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are a team that should and presumably will show interest in Luis Robert Jr. at the trade deadline. They have the pitching ready to compete for a World Series, but their lineup leaves a lot to be desired.

Seattle ranks 24th in the majors in runs scored and 26th in OPS entering Wednesday's action. That is, simply put, not good enough. Robert has gotten off to a shaky start this season, but at his best, he's a star-level player.

For the White Sox to be willing to trade Robert to the Mariners, they should demand their No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Cole Young, as part of the return package. Not only is he Seattle's top prospect, but he's the No. 26 prospect overall.

Young is a former first-round pick slashing .274.361/.411 with seven home runs and 32 RBI in AA. He's primarily a shortstop but has experience playing second base as well. He could create a strong middle infield tandem alongside Chicago's current top prospect Colson Montgomery, as soon as the end of this season if not early next.

It'd be a steep price to pay, but this Mariners team shouldn't be wasting a year of this pitching staff. Giving Young up for Robert, a star with 3.5 years of team control, should be a no-brainer.

2. The White Sox should demand Robby Snelling in any trade with the Padres

The San Diego Padres are a team that could use another outfielder and a starting pitcher, so both Robert and Crochet are seemingly on the table here. Since their need for a starter is larger, Crochet is probably more likely.

The best prospect in their system is 18-year-old phenom Ethan Salas, but there's reason to believe that he won't be available. With that being said, even without Salas, the Padres have more than enough prospect capital to get a deal done for Crochet or Robert.

The prospect Chicago should be pursuing is Robby Snelling, the top pitcher in San Diego's system and their No. 2 prospect overall. Snelling is having a rough go of it in AA, but saw his stock rise a ton last season and has a MLB ETA of 2025 according to MLB Pipeline. He has strong command, good strikeout stuff, and is just 20 years old.

The White Sox are a team in dire need of pitching (obviously) and Snelling has a ceiling worthy of being a centerpiece in a big trade.

1. The White Sox should demand Josue De Paula in any trade with the Dodgers

As we all know, the Los Angeles Dodgers are a team built to win right now. Adding one or even both of Robert and Crochet would make them even more unfair. What's even scarier is that they have the farm system to do it.

Dalton Rushing might be the top prospect in their system per MLB Pipeline, but the White Sox should demand Josue De Paula, Los Angeles' No. 2 prospect, in any trade. De Paula is more raw than the other two prospects on this list, but he has an extremely high ceiling.

At just 19 years old he's slashing .279/.388/.447 with six home runs, 41 RBI, and 14 stolen bases (in 14 attempts) in 55 games played this season. He had played his first 54 games in Single-A, but got promoted to High-A Great Lakes just days ago.

De Paula is a blue-chip prospect who the White Sox can build their new-look outfield around. They'll have to wait a little longer, but it should be worth it. As MLB Pipeline says in their De Paula scouting report, "With his hitting ability, bat speed and projectable strength, he could develop into a .300 hitter with 30 homers on an annual basis once he learns to drive balls in the air more consistently."