Wow! The Chicago White Sox are trading right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito to Los Angeles, but it’s not the Dodgers. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Angels have swooped in and after indicating that they are not trading Shohei Ohtani, they’ve now added one of the top starting pitchers available at the trade deadline.
The White Sox are receiving a pair of Angels prospects in return, while also sending right-handed reliever Reynaldo Lopez out West.
Edgar Quero, who is a 20-year-old catcher playing in Double-A, is currently rated as the 65th best prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
Via MLB.com.
A switch-hitter with more power from the left side of the plate, Quero barrels up the ball consistently from both sides. He has an advanced approach with excellent plate discipline, drawing a ton of walks in the early stages of his pro career. He has the chance to be at least an above-average hitter when all is said and done, and his ability to tap into his raw pop took a nice step forward in 2022, with more over-the-fence ability to come as he continues to figure out when to attack pitches in the zone.
Quero moves well behind the plate and has a solid arm, but there’s still work to be done on other facets of his defensive game, from his receiving to his game-calling. He’ll be just 20 for all of the 2023 season, leaving the Angels optimistic those skills will sharpen, giving them a potential big league starting catcher as a result.
So far in 2023, Quero has played in 70 games at the Double-A level, where he’s put up a slash line of .246/.386/.332. The switch-hitter has three home runs and has shown a great eye at the plate, striking out 53 times, but walking 55 times. The Cuban catcher signed as an international free agent with the Angels backs in 2021.
Ky Bush is a 23-year-old, left-handed pitcher, who was ranked third in the Angels farm system. The lefty was taken in the second round of the 2021 draft with the 45th overall pick out of Saint Mary’s. The 6-foot-6 starting pitcher began the year on the injured list and didn’t make his season debut until mid-June. After a few outings in Arizona, Bush was assigned to Double-A, where he posted a 5.88 ERA in 26 innings.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sports Illustrated broke the news that the Angels fully intended to keep their superstar two-way player for the rest of the 2023 season in hopes of reaching the postseason.
Now, the Angels have added Giolito to bolster their starting rotation and Lopez, who can provide a solid presence as a set-up man in the bullpen. The Angels are going for it and although most people thought they could have gotten a giant haul by trading Ohtani, those fans must love this direction from the front office.
Meanwhile, this is just the beginning of what could be a few more trades involving the White Sox. Lance Lynn, who started Wednesday night against the Cubs, has been in discussed in deals involving the Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays.
For Giolito and Lopez, they’re leaving the White Sox just how they got to the White Sox, together. Back on Dec. 7, 2016, the White Sox acquired the pair of right-handed pitchers from the Washington Nationals in exchange for outfielder Adam Eaton.
Unfortunately, Rick Hahn has now traded the pitchers away as the White Sox are no closer to consistent success as they were when they began their rebuild.
After winning the AL Central Division in 2021, and then losing 3-1 in the ALDS to the Houston Astros, the White Sox have a record of 122-143 since the beginning of the 2022 season.
