Pitching Depth Must Be White Sox No. 1 Priority at the Trade Deadline

If the last week is any indication, pitching depth needs to be the  Chicago White Sox priority ahead of the trade deadline. 

The White Sox squandered a 5-0 lead against the Houston Astros on Friday, undone by an eight-run bullpen collapse in the seventh inning. Three days later, they scored five runs against the New York Yankees, only to fall 9-5 after the pitching staff once again failed to hold up its end of the bargain.

While much of the trade speculation has centered on the White Sox pursuing another catcher after Kyle Teel landed on the injured list, reinforcing the pitching staff is a far more pressing need. With Shea Langeliers now sidelined and the Los Angeles Dodgers also looking for help after Will Smith’s injury, the Dodgers are in a position to corner the catching market. More importantly, the White Sox have managed to stay afloat despite receiving minimal offensive production from the catcher position, thanks in large part to an offense that still ranks ninth in baseball.

While the offense continues to score runs in bunches, the pitching staff has been far more inconsistent. Davis Martin and Sean Burke have turned in quality seasons atop the rotation, but the White Sox still lack a true frontline ace. Meanwhile, Noah Schultz and Erick Fedde have struggled enough that it’s difficult to count on either of them every fifth day.

The bullpen has been steadied by Sean Newcomb, Bryon Hudson, Jordan Hicks and Grant Taylor, but it also has a glaring weakness at the back end. Seranthony Domínguez’s recent struggles have cost him the closer’s role, leaving the White Sox without an established ninth-inning option. As a result, Chicago enters the trade deadline with a 4.15 team ERA, which ranks 13th in Major League Baseball, a respectable mark, but not one that screams deep playoff run. 

Now is the time for Chris Getz to be aggressive. The American League is as wide open as it has been in years, the farm system is stocked with talent, and the looming threat of a lockout means there is no guarantee next season will even be played.

As promising as the future looks, the 2021 White Sox proved that contention windows can slam shut without warning. If that era taught us anything, it’s that sustained success is promised to no one, no matter how talented a team looks on paper.

The White Sox don’t necessarily need to swing for a frontline ace. Adding another dependable starter to the back end of the rotation would provide much-needed depth and stability. Pair that with a proven late-inning reliever, and suddenly the White Sox would have the pitching staff to not only reach the postseason but make a legitimate run at the American League pennant. Here are three pitchers they should target: 

Mason Miller 

Mason Miller is one of the most dominant players at any position in baseball. At just 27 years old, he has established himself as the game’s premier closer. Better yet, he remains under club control for the next three seasons, giving the White Sox a lockdown ninth-inning option just as their championship window begins to open.

In 42 appearances for the San Diego Padres this season, Miller has racked up 27 saves to go along with a microscopic 0.82 ERA and 0.824 WHIP. Slotting him alongside Grant Taylor would instantly transform the White Sox’s bullpen into a strength, giving them a dominant one-two punch at the back end while eliminating the need for Will Venable to routinely ask Sean Newcomb to shoulder multi-inning save opportunities.

Acquiring Miller won’t come cheap. While reports indicate the White Sox are willing to absorb salary to avoid parting with their top prospects, Padres general manager A.J. Preller paid a steep price to acquire him and will almost certainly expect a meaningful return on that investment.

But from the White Sox side, the juice is worth the squeeze. Miller is not a part-time rental, and has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Yes, it would be a massive swing that comes with risk, but scared money don’t make money. 

Robbie Ray

If the White Sox are looking for a rental option that wouldn’t require surrendering a significant prospect package, Robbie Ray is an intriguing trade target. The San Francisco Giants are motivated to move the final two months of his $25 million salary, and while Ray is no longer the frontline ace he was during his Cy Young-winning season, he still fits the White Sox’s need for a dependable middle-of-the-rotation starter.

Ray owns a 3.16 ERA this season, and while some of that is a result at pitching at Oracle Park, he has been limiting hard contact from opponents this season with a solid array of offspeed pitches in his arsenal. Most notably reintroducing his sinker. 

While Ray’s underlying numbers raise some concerns, his current production would still represent an upgrade over Erick Fedde and Noah Schultz, providing the White Sox with a more reliable option at the back end of the rotation.

Foster Griffin 

The White Sox have already uncovered value by targeting pitchers who reinvented themselves overseas, with Anthony Kay and Erick Fedde both emerging as success stories after stops in Asia. So why not take another chance on one of baseball’s latest success stories, Foster Griffin?

After a stint with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan, the 30-year-old southpaw signed with the Washington Nationals and earned his first All-Star nod. Across 124 innings, he owns a 2.76 ERA with an elite 5.6% walk rate. 

Griffin’s breakout season has largely been thanks to his cutter, which he throws nearly twice as much as any other offering in his seven-pitch arsenal. While he doesn’t have overpowering stuff, he makes up for it with command and an excellent pitch mix to keep hitters off balance. 

That profile makes him an intriguing fit for the White Sox. Griffin isn’t the type of acquisition that would transform a rotation overnight, but he could provide the stability and depth Chicago desperately needs at the back end of its staff. 

Griffin’s lack of elite swing-and-miss stuff means teams will likely remain cautious about his long-term outlook. But with an affordable contract and free agency approaching, he represents the type of low-cost, high-upside addition that could strengthen the White Sox’s rotation and wouldn’t require giving up a massive haul.