The White Sox’ long-expected standing as deadline sellers was cemented final evening after they traded impending free brokers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to the Angels in change for prospects Edgar Quero and Ky Bush. Additional offers for the South Siders between now and Tuesday’s deadline are a certainty, however a broad-reaching teardown nonetheless seems unlikely. Groups who’ve inquired on the provision of righty Dylan Stop, who’s controllable by means of the 2025 season, have repeatedly been turned away, Bob Nightengale of USA At the moment tweets.
Stop, final yr’s Cy Younger runner-up, has been some of the speculated-upon commerce candidates in baseball this season, even because it’s continued to look unlikely he’s moved. The White Sox are intent on reloading and taking one other run at contending in 2024, making it far much less probably that they’d deal a controllable top-of-the-rotation arm of Stop’s caliber.
The 27-year-old Stop hasn’t pitched as properly in 2023 as he did in 2022. He’s sporting a stable 4.04 ERA with a wonderful 28% strikeout charge and a 9.6% stroll charge by means of 113 2/3 frames to this point this season. He’s been significantly efficient over his previous 9 begins, nonetheless, firing 51 innings of three.00 ERA ball whereas punching out one-third of his opponents and recording an improved 8.5% stroll charge. Stop is incomes an inexpensive $5.7MM in his first season of arbitration eligibility and will likely be due a increase on that wage subsequent season.
Stop isn’t the one controllable arm drawing curiosity on Chicago’s roster. Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets that a number of contenders have expressed curiosity in lefty reliever Aaron Bummer regardless of a disastrous 6.56 ERA. Bummer’s season received out to an terrible begin, however he’s logged a 4.50 ERA in 24 innings courting again to Could 12; 5 of the dozen earned runs he’s yielded in that point got here in a single meltdown on July 6.
Wanting deeper into Bummer’s season, he’s fanned a formidable 28.3% of his opponents and stored the ball on the bottom at a hefty 54.3% clip. The 29-year-old has been tormented by a .347 common on balls in play and an abnormally low 48.1% strand charge this yr, each of which determine to development again towards his profession averages of .300 and 69.5%. Bummer hasn’t allowed a house run but this season, which isn’t sustainable, however the total package deal of a hard-throwing lefty who misses bats and piles up grounders whereas pitching on an inexpensive contract understandably has enchantment for contending golf equipment. Bummer is taking part in out the ultimate season of a five-year, $16MM contract however may be managed one other two seasons through a pair of membership choices valued at $7.25MM and $7.5MM, respectively.
As with Stop, Bummer may be part of the White Sox’ efforts to contend each in 2024 and 2025, so there’s no assure he’s moved. Nevertheless, reliever efficiency is extra risky, evidenced by Bummer’s present ERA after logging a 2.59 mark in 160 innings from 2019-22. If the Sox can get some near-MLB assist that might extra affordably contribute to the 2024 roster, it’s possible they’d be open to the chance.
Sooner or later within the subsequent few days, the Sox will fairly probably transfer right-handers Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Keynan Middleton, all of whom can grow to be free agent at season’s finish (although Lynn and Kelly have 2024 choices on their contracts). The Rays and Dodgers have been each reported to be in talks on Lynn yesterday, and the Dodgers have been tied to Kelly.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic provides additional gas to these rumors, scripting this morning that the Rangers and White Sox mentioned a commerce that will convey each Lynn and Kelly to Texas yesterday. The talks didn’t acquire sufficient traction to convey a few deal, however Texas’ curiosity in each pitchers highlights the variety of balls the Sox have within the air and the variety of paths they might take as they appear to retool within the coming days.
