The Chicago White Sox added an intriguing arm to the mix on Tuesday, acquiring right-hander Trevor Richards from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for cash considerations.
In a corresponding move, the White Sox placed Drew Thorpe on the 60-day injured list. The designation comes as little surprise after he underwent Tommy John surgery last season. Because the move is retroactive to the start of the year, a return before the end of the season remains possible, though the team has not provided a timeline.
Richards could provide the White Sox bullpen a much-needed boost. Despite tinkering with a sinker and slider in recent years, he primarily leans on a fastball-changeup combo. Despite his fastball sitting in the low 90s, Richards has proved he can miss bats. Unfortunately, he often misses the strike zone as well.
While he has struck out hitters at a 25% clip over the course of his career, he has yet to find a consistent role in the big leagues, largely due to command issues, reflected in a career 10% walk rate.
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After signing a minor-league deal with the Phillies, Richards is off to a dominant start to the 2026 season, averaging more than 16 strikeouts per nine innings in Triple-A after fanning 26 of the 50 batters he faced. During that stretch, he posted a 1.93 ERA while holding opponents to a .106 average over 14 innings with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, earning a call-up to the majors, where he has allowed just one run across his first four innings.
That body of work was clearly enough to pique the interest of a White Sox team in need of bullpen arms. Despite his strong start to the year, the Phillies were set to bump Richards from the roster to make room for Jhoan Duran, who was set to return from a stint on the injured list due to an oblique strain. Because Duran has nine seasons of MLB experience, the Phillies needed his consent to option him to the minors, but avoided losing him for nothing by striking a deal with the White Sox.
The White Sox will mark Richards ninth different team since making his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2018. The 32-year-old Aviston, Illinois native began his career as a starter, but was converted to a full-time reliever in 2021.
After joining the Blue Jays in 2021, he posted a 4.75 ERA in his four seasons in Toronto, despite averaging 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Things continued to trend in the wrong direction for Richards after he was traded to the Minnesota Twins before the 2024 trade deadline. Upon joining the Twins, Richards logged just 13 innings, walking 13 and hitting two of the 59 hitters he faced before being released.
Since then, Richards has bounced between minor-league stints with the Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Philadelphia Phillies organizations.
