The White Sox have come a long way from the team that lost 121 games two seasons ago, and now they’re being talked about as a club that could make life miserable in October.
That’s the backdrop for Jim Bowden’s Monday note in The Athletic, where he pegged Chicago as one of several teams that could be hunting bullpen help before the trade deadline. Bowden’s view is simple: if the White Sox want to make the kind of jump the Blue Jays made last year, they’ll need more help in the rotation and more muscle at the back end of the bullpen.
“The White Sox are looking to go from last to first just like the Blue Jays did last year. Their path would be easier if they add to the rotation and the back end of their bullpen,” Bowden wrote.
Bowden also pointed to the Boston Red Sox as a possible trade partner, with Chicago needing help in both areas. In his view, the White Sox could even look at one pitcher from each side of the staff.
“I think they should target both Aroldis Chapman and Sonny Gray of the Red Sox, but should be willing to consider all possibilities, including an in-division trade with the Royals,” he added.
The Royals angle can wait. The bigger name here is Chapman, a nine-time All-Star who would immediately give Chicago a legitimate lockdown option in the late innings.
Even at 38, the left-hander is still overpowering hitters from both sides of the plate. He has struck out 35 batters in 26.2 innings, and he has issued 12 walks along the way.
That kind of arm won’t come cheap, but for a White Sox team trying to position itself for a real postseason push, it’s the sort of move that could be worth paying for.
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For the Red Sox, Hamiltons latest step matters because his path to Milwaukee began in the six-player trade that sent him out of Boston, and he also happens to be a player the Brewers know well from before his time with the Sox. His latest setback leaves another small thread of that deal in motion, even if the bigger picture around the trade is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]