MLB insider would be ‘stunned’ if these six White Sox players weren’t originally traded to NBC Sports Chicago
The White Sox are rumored to be sellouts at the deadline.
Amid a season where they are 13 games below .500 and 7.5 games out of first place, one would suspect the Sox would try to sell and reorganize before attempting another playoff series.
An MLB insider believes at least six White Sox players will be traded before the August 1 deadline.
“I think they’re moving, you know, four, five, six guys,” Bob Nightengale said on NBC Sports Chicago’s White Sox Talk podcast. “I mean, I think (Lucas) Giolito definitely goes, Lance Lynn goes, Mike Clevinger goes. And then the bullpen, you know, whether it’s a Joe Kelly, Aaron Bummer, definitely Kendall Graveman.
“I’ll go to those six. I’d be amazed if those six are still with the White Sox after August 1.”
Wow. It’s a bold prediction.
But, there is a certain meaning to it. Giolito and Clevinger are on expiring deals. Lynn and Kelly are on club options for the 2024 season. And Graveman still has the 2024 season on his contract.
Not to mention that Giolito, Clevinger and Graveman – in particular – have pitched well enough this season to earn the White Sox a decent trade package in return. According to Nightengale, opposing GMs “love” Lynn too.
As Nightengale and Chuck Garfien have discussed, a trade deadline “rebuild” wouldn’t necessarily fall into the full-scale, stud-to-the-studs category. The USA Today reporter suggested the White Sox keep Luis Robert Jr., who earned his first All-Star nod this season, and Dylan Cease.
Considering their ages, Eloy Jiménez (26), Gregory Santos (23), Andrew Vaughn (25), Oscar Colás (24) and Andrew Benintendi (28) are players you might not want also not exchange.
Tim Anderson is a draw, but Nightengale thinks he’s too important to the organization for the front office to trade him – unless he makes an irrefutable offer. The White Sox have him on a club option for the 2024 season before he is likely to expect a lucrative new contract.
Certainly, the August 1 deadline will mark an interesting time for the White Sox. This is a rebuild they’ve been scaling since 2016 that hasn’t been very successful. Since then, the White Sox have made the playoffs twice, losing in each of the wild card and divisional series.
How will the White Sox get through the MLB trade deadline?
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