Why the White Sox should add, not subtract, at the trade deadline

Guest post from Mr. Hand

Hey guys! As I type this the White Sox have completed a 6 – 1 homestand, including a 5-game winning streak. Why is this significant. It is significant because they did it against two division opponents (KC and Cleveland). It is so nice and refreshing to see a decent brand of baseball being played. The team still makes some mistakes that are frustrating but those appear to be fewer and further between. I hope that Beefloaf’s tweet about this team turning the corner on the rebuild is accurate. I specifically raise these items because it leads into the purpose of this article. The White Sox should ADD at the trade deadline, not subtract.

I know one of the first things that people will say is this team is not a World Series contender. I cannot argue that point since I feel the same way, but now is the time to strike. The first thing the team needs to do is win in division. It looks like the tables may finally be turning after years of dismal performances against divisional foes.

As I look at this team, I think the primary focus should be on the pitching staff, primarily a starter or two. There are a couple of “young” pitchers that may serve the purpose for the team, as well as a “grizzled” veteran. It is critical that the White Sox add another pitcher, since they have lost Kopech and Dunning to Tommy John and Nova, Covey, and Banuelos do not appear to be viable long-term solutions. The first of the “young” pitchers is Marcus Stroman, who becomes a free agent in 2021 while the second is Jose Urena, who becomes a free agent in 2022. The reason to consider Stroman and Urena is due to age, cost, and controlability while also having part of their prime years during the projected competitive window. If the White Sox prefer to go to the “grizzled” veteran, then look no further than Zack Grienke. While Grienke may not be the sexy choice, he would be a great addition to the staff because he could work with the younger guys, Kopech and Cease, on the finer points of pitching. We do know that the White Sox are not on the No-Trade list. Obviously, there is a large contract associated with Grienke, but for the right package I believe you can get Arizona to assume some of the money.

What would it take to acquire one of these pitchers? I think the package would be different based upon which pitcher you would acquire. My personal preference is to have a package built around Blake Rutherford. Obviously, a pitcher would also need to be included in the transaction. While I would prefer to send Carson Fulmer, I don’t think he would seal the deal. I could see someone like Jimmy Lambert or Jordan Guerrero being included in the package. I think Rutherford and one of the pitchers, not Fulmer, would seal the deal for Stroman or Urena. As far as the cost for Greinke I think the team may be able to get creative because of the money involved. I would offer Rutherford, Fulmer, and Yonder Alonso and take the money. Alonso will help offset some of the money and will also free up the roster.

Further the White Sox should NOT trade Colome. Trading Colome off of this roster would be a disastrous move because it would, in my opinion, set this team further back in the opportunity of opening the competitive window.

The reason I feel strongly about this is because the team may be turning the corner. While I do not expect a playoff appearance in 2019, I would like to see this team in contention in September. I do believe that meaningful games this year would help the team target possible areas of need in the off-season as well as provide a springboard into 2020 Spring Training for the team to really start to open the contention window. I also believe that this is also important from a fan perspective since the team has not played meaningful late season baseball since 2012 and may help restore some of the lost faith in the front office and the rebuild as a result of the past offseason.

Feel free to agree or disagree and keep on #108ing!

-Aloha Mr Hand