The White Sox may have quietly landed the best piece of that July 2024 three-team deal, and Miguel Vargas is making the case every night.
Chicago sent Michael Kopech to the Dodgers and moved Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to St. Louis in the trade that also brought back Alexander Albertus, Jerel Perez and Vargas.
At the time, it looked like a rebuild move. Now, it looks a lot more like a steal.
Kopech is a free agent after an injury-filled season in Los Angeles, Pham is in the minors, and Fedde is back with the White Sox this season. Vargas, though, has settled in and produced. Through 84 games this year, he’s hitting .244/.357/.485 with 19 home runs and a team-high 52 runs batted in.
He’s also helped keep the offense steady until Munetaka Murakami can return from the IL.
That production has now earned Vargas a spot on Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller’s midseason top 25 list, where he received honorable mention.
"Munetaka Murakami got all of the love through the first two months, but Vargas has been Chicago's most valuable player, on pace for close to 40 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Getting him in exchange for Michael Kopech, Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham two deadlines ago has blossomed quite into quite the win."
For a player who was still trying to establish himself after arriving from the Dodgers, the turnaround has been impressive. Three months into the 2026 season, Vargas isn’t just fitting in - he’s become one of the faces of a White Sox team that’s sitting in position to win the American League Central and make a run in October.
In Other News...
White Sox May Try A Surprising Plan With A Top Pitching Prospect
Tanner McDougal is getting close to a return, and for the White Sox, the next step may be less about where he belongs long term than how they can use him right away. The right-hander has been working back from a flexor strain and is expected to be pitching again soon, with a rehab outing for High-A Winston-Salem later this week as he starts to rejoin the organizations plans.
What makes McDougal interesting is the possibility that Chicago could ease him into the majors in a different role before worrying about a traditional starters path. The White Sox have seen how pitchers can begin in relief and still grow into high-end starters later, and that kind of staged approach would also fit a bullpen that could use another power arm while the club sorts out its longer-term pitching picture. [Read more 🡒]
Murakami Return Watch Just Took A Big Turn For White Sox
Munetaka Murakami is finally moving closer to game action, with the White Sox first baseman set to begin a minor league rehab assignment as he works back from a hamstring injury. Manager Will Venable confirmed the plan, and the assignment is designed to get Murakami back into game shape before he reenters the major league roster picture.
The next stop is expected to be a brief one in Charlotte, giving Chicago a chance to see how quickly one of its biggest power sources can ramp back up. Murakamis bat has mattered plenty when healthy, and while the rehab assignment is a clear step forward, Venable stopped short of putting any timetable on when the White Sox might get him back for good. [Read more 🡒]
Former White Sox Arm Is Already Forcing A Tough Trade Question
The Rangers moved quickly to get Ben Peoples onto their roster after selecting the right-handers contract and creating space by sending Winston Santos to Triple-A Round Rock. Peoples, who was recently acquired from the White Sox, is expected to go straight to the major league club, a sign Texas sees enough in him to keep him in the big-league picture rather than let him sit in the minors.
Texas also added some organizational depth around him, signing infielder Santiago Espinal and right-hander Austin Voth to minor league deals. Espinal gives the Rangers another infield option while the roster is being stretched by injuries, and Voth arrives as a familiar depth arm with recent stops in Toronto and Minnesota. For the White Sox, the move is another reminder that a pitcher they just dealt is already pushing his way into a more meaningful role elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]