NEWSLETTER
Even in a year like this, there are going to be some clubs where pushing extra hard at the Trade Deadline still makes a lot of sense. Whether it could be window-related (hey cubs u up?), division-related, or something else, there are teams that are really going to be willing to roll the dice to cover over any holes they might have.
Caveats aplenty on the LEVEL of trades being contemplated, but the point is: yes, lots of teams have incentive to land a really nice rental or two.
Anyway, one of those teams, clearly, is the Chicago White Sox. Having not only graduated so much of their talented young core to the big leagues but also spent aggressively in free agency to add to the roster, the White Sox might be getting their best year out of guys like Dallas Keuchel and Yasmani Grandal and Jose Abreu. You also can’t guarantee that so many of these young guys who are popping off this year will definitely do it again next year and beyond.
Is 2020 a weird year, where there are more risks than usual in pushing hard toward the postseason? Yes. But would it still be prudent for the White Sox – when so much is clicking – to really go all out this year? I’d argue yes.
To that end, I’m not surprised that they’re now being attached to some of the biggest pitching names on the trade market:
#WhiteSox are looking at starting pitchers on the trade market, and #Rangers RHP Lance Lynn is one name they’re considering. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 29, 2020
White Sox have talked about Lance Lynn and Robbie Ray. Lynn obviously has high price tag. Expect them to add pitching. South Siders tied for 1st and going for it.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 29, 2020
Sources: #Braves and #WhiteSox are among the teams with interest in #Angels RHP Dylan Bundy. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 29, 2020
Ray has long been a mixed bag of potential, peripherals, and results (this year, he’s been quite terrible), but Bundy and Lynn are balling out this year. Ray is a free agent after this season, and the other two come with one more year of control.
For Lynn, it’s year two of his resurgence since joining the Rangers, and his additional contract year (2021 at $9.33 million) might be low enough in price that it’s still a positive value even in the depressed financial market. For Bundy, it’s been an enormous bounce-back with the Angels, and he’ll have his final turn in arbitration next year (likely a solid raise on his $5 million salary).
Guys like Lynn and Bundy would fall into the “I’d be surprised if they are dealt for sufficient value” category this year, but that’s kinda what I was talking about above: maybe the White Sox are just the right team to be so strongly incentivized to make a move that they’ll risk the prospect cost, knowing they’ll only get like six starts this year from the new guy, and then will have to pay him a salary next year that MIGHT be totally fine (or might be high if the bottom really falls out of the market).
The Cubs, you’ll note, finish their regular season with three games against the White Sox.
