Teams across Major League Baseball have been making trades well ahead of the trade deadline this season, but one team that has been suspiciously quiet so far is the worst team in the league, the 27-80 Chicago White Sox, who have plenty of viable trade assets.
One insider says there is currently a market for at least five White Sox players should they decide to completely blow it up.
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that the Sox have markets for “at least five players” and noted Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde, Michael Kopech, Tommy Pham, and Luis Robert Jr. as the trade candidates, and he added there’s a “decent to excellent chance for almost all to go.”
White Sox have markets for at least 5 players (Crochet, Fedde, Kopech, Pham, Robert) and see decent to excellent chance for almost all to go. Crochet’s stance to avoid overuse and diminish injury risk may discourage 1 or 2 teams but talent plays and interest remains strong
Crochet made headlines earlier in the week when it was reported that he wouldn’t pitch in the playoffs without a contract extension as he prioritizes his health, and Heyman noted that his stance to avoid overuse might discourage one or two teams from making a play for him, but ultimately the interest in him leaguewide remains strong.
Robert and Crochet would presumably bring in massive hauls and are arguably the two biggest pieces believed to be available on the trade market, but both are young and would set the White Sox back even further in their development.
Robert is under contract through next season, but has two more club option years at just $20 million each after that, while Crochet just turned 25 and has two more arbitration years after this season as well.
Keep an eye out to see how many of these guys wind up being shipped out of town.