The Dodgers and White Sox have mentioned the potential for Dylan Stop heading to Los Angeles, in line with USA Right now’s Bob Nightengale. There isn’t any indication {that a} commerce is especially shut, or whether or not or not this was a due diligence inquiry from the Dodgers given the membership’s apparent want for pitching.
Whereas the White Sox aren’t precisely rebuilding, new GM Chris Getz has straight mentioned that he’s open to commerce provides because the Sox search for methods to handle their many wants. Thursday’s commerce of Aaron Bummer to the Braves noticed Chicago choose up no less than beginning center infielder (Nicky Lopez) and maybe two (Michael Soroka, Jared Shuster) new arms for the beginning rotation, bringing some depth onto a depleted roster.
Other than buying and selling Luis Robert Jr., dealing Stop can be the largest transfer the White Sox may make to rapidly add much more expertise to the group. MLBTR’s Nick Deeds just lately explored Stop’s commerce market, citing 14 groups that make sense as commerce suitors given Stop’s previous high quality and his comparatively cheap price ticket over two remaining arbitration-eligible seasons. Stop is projected for an $8.8MM wage in 2024, so even when a giant efficiency subsequent yr raises his 2025 wage considerably, that also provides as much as two seasons of front-of-the-rotation pitching for round $22MM.
Over three full seasons as a starter, Stop was strong in 2021, excellent in 2022, after which pretty abnormal final yr, struggling to a 4.58 ERA over 177 innings. A 4.10 SIERA is a bit more flattering, as Stop’s .330 BABIP and 69.4% strand price definitely contributed to his points, plus it’s truthful to marvel if he was affected by the general malaise of the Southsiders’ disastrous 101-loss season. Stop’s subpar stroll charges and his tendency (aside from in 2022) to give up onerous contact are purple flags, however there’s nonetheless rather a lot to love in regards to the right-hander as he enters his age-28 season.
From the Dodgers’ perspective, Stop represents a a lot surer factor than most each different pitcher of their projected 2024 rotation. Walker Buehler returns from a 2023 season fully misplaced to Tommy John surgical procedure, Dustin Could will miss no less than the primary half of 2024 as a result of flexor tendon surgical procedure, and swingman Ryan Yarbrough is the one different skilled arm inside a pitching combine that features lots of rookies and second-year pitchers. Bobby Miller has declare on one rotation spot behind Buehler, however Ryan Pepiot, Emmet Sheehan, Michael Grove and Gavin Stone are all various levels of query marks.
Buying and selling from this pitching depth is perhaps a danger for Los Angeles, given all of the uncertainty about their rotation. Nevertheless, on paper, that is nonetheless a great crop of younger arms that might be engaging to different groups, significantly a membership just like the White Sox in want of controllable pitching. Speculatively, one would think about Miller is off-limits for the Dodgers in commerce talks, however shifting one and even two of the opposite pitchers is perhaps possible for a Los Angeles membership that clearly needs to win now. Or, L.A. would possibly attempt to tempt the Sox with a few of its many high quality place gamers within the minors — prime prospects Dalton Dashing and Diego Cartaya might need explicit enchantment to Chicago for the reason that Sox are very skinny within the catching ranks.
