The Chicago White Sox are heading into the trade deadline with a clear message: they want to buy, and they want to be taken seriously.
That much has become obvious as August 3rd gets closer. Chicago’s surprise push has them at 55-50 and holding a 2.0-game lead over the Guardians in the AL Central, and Chris Getz and company appear determined to make sure this season turns into more than just a nice story.
One area that looks especially likely to get addressed is catcher. Kyle Teel’s latest injury made that impossible to ignore, and the Sox have not gotten the kind of production they expected behind the plate.
Edgar Quero has fallen off after a strong rookie campaign, and Drew Romo has not delivered much after a strong first stint with the club earlier this year. Even if Teel returns healthy before the postseason, Chicago would still benefit from upgrading the platoon.
That search has reportedly led the White Sox to the Mets. On the GM Territory show, Jim Bowden said Chicago has been in touch about one of New York’s two catchers.
“I’ve also heard they have shopped both their catchers: Luis Torrens and Francisco Alvarez. I think it’s more likely that Torrens gets moved for Alvarez.
Watch the Chicago White Sox on Torrens. I’m told they are engaged.”
Torrens would bring something the White Sox don’t have much of right now: experience. He has been in the majors since 2017, beginning with the Padres before moving on to the Mariners and Cubs, and he has spent the last three seasons with the Mets. He is also only 30 games away from 500 in the big leagues.
Defensively, he would be a meaningful upgrade. Neither Teel nor Quero has stood out behind the plate early in their careers, and that could make Torrens a natural fit on the South Side.
The bat is a different story. He does not offer much offensively, and that would stand out in Chicago.
Still, he has been more productive than the Sox’s current options, and he has shown an ability to drive balls into the gaps while avoiding chases.
Even with catcher looking like a need, it still may not be the White Sox’s top priority. Chris Getz’s biggest job remains finding another high-end starter, which is why Torrens could make sense if the Mets are willing to move him at a reasonable price.
The bigger question is how far Chicago is willing to go to improve. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported earlier this week that the White Sox badly want starting pitching, but are drawing a line when it comes to their best young talent.
“The Chicago White Sox badly want starting pitching, but are telling teams that they will not trade any of their top 10 prospects. They would be willing to add onto their payroll, however, and assume the entirety of a player’s contract,” Nightengale wrote.
That stance makes sense on one level. The White Sox would love to patch holes without giving up premium prospects, especially after doing a strong job developing young talent. There is no reason to show all their cards right away.
But the market does not usually reward caution. If Chicago wants a meaningful upgrade, it may have to put some of those top-10 names into the conversation.
Caleb Bonemer and Hagen Smith probably should stay off the table, but Billy Carlson and Mason Adams, both top-10 prospects via MLB Pipeline, sound more realistic as possible asks. Tanner McDougal and William Bergolla Jr. would also be reasonable names to discuss depending on the player involved.
If the White Sox refuse to move in that direction, they may have a hard time landing the kind of impact arm they’re chasing.
And Reid Detmers is exactly the kind of arm that could tempt them. Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports reported that both the White Sox and Cubs have checked in with the Angels on the left-hander.
Detmers has been getting better as the season has gone on, posting a 4.05 ERA. His mid-90s fastball and tricky slider have helped him miss bats at a high level, with a 28.6 percent whiff rate and a 27.6 percent K rate. He has made 21 starts this season and has become one of the more popular names on the market.
For Chicago, Detmers would bring another young arm with movement and upside, plus several years of team control. That fits the direction of a club trying to keep building while staying competitive right now.
The Sox have some interesting arms still working their way up, but the overall pitching structure is young and unproven. If this year is really the start of something, adding a stable arm like Detmers would make plenty of sense.
The catch is that a bidding war could change everything. If the White Sox are unwilling to include a Top 10 prospect, they may find themselves outgunned, especially with reports suggesting their crosstown rival is ready to go all-in.
In Other News...
White Sox Linked To A Starter Who Could Change Everything
The search for pitching help at the deadline has put the White Sox in the mix for a name that would carry more than a short-term fix. Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers has drawn trade interest after returning to the rotation and pitching well this season, and Chicago is among the clubs keeping tabs as the Angels weigh whether to move controllable players and restock their farm system.
For the Sox, the appeal is obvious. Sean Burke and Davis Martin have provided strong stretches, but the rotation still feels thin and unstable overall, which makes a pitcher with club control through 2028 especially attractive. The question now is whether Chicago is willing to pay the kind of price that could pry away a starter the Angels may view as a long-term piece, and that part of the market figures to get interesting fast. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Fans May Need To Rethink Luisangel Acuna
Luisangel Acuna arrived in Chicago as part of the deal that sent Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets, and his first look with the White Sox did not go smoothly. Early in 2026, he was asked to handle center field, a spot that did not fit nearly as cleanly as the organization hoped, but the team has since found a better way to use him by shifting him into a bench role and giving him more time at shortstop.
The change has mattered. Acuna has looked far more comfortable on the infield, and his recent play has turned him into a useful utility piece rather than just a name from a big trade. With Jacob Gonzalez now gone, he is also the only true backup infielder on the roster, which gives the White Sox a decision to make about whether this is the role that sticks or whether his value might be even higher somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]