The White Sox’s 2026 trade deadline work ended with a flurry, and the final move was the kind of small but interesting bullpen swap that can get lost in the noise.
On August 3, Chicago acquired right-handed reliever Huascar Brazobán from the New York Mets in exchange for right-handed starter Gabe Davis and right-handed reliever Zach Franklin. It was the sort of deal that could matter well beyond 2026.
Brazobán is 36, which is old for a pitcher but still controllable for the rest of the decade, and he brings a little wildness along with a profile that has him giving up hits at a rapid clip. At minimum, he looks like an upgrade over the departed Seranthony Domínguez, and at a fraction of the cost.
Franklin is expected to get some time with the Mets, likely right away, while Davis still projects as a long-term relief arm.
That capped a deadline stretch that started with a bigger swing on August 1, when GM Chris Getz landed catcher José Castillo. The move addressed the White Sox’s most obvious need, starting pitching, but it also came with real baggage.
The 2026 version of Castillo has been rough, and his 2026-27 salary could pinch Chicago if the team keeps operating on a tight budget. If Castillo struggles and top catching prospect Smith keeps raking, this trade could end up looking ugly.
Chicago also made a depth move on July 28, signing free-agent catcher Eric Haase to a minor-league deal and assigning him to Triple-A Charlotte. Haase hasn’t been a real MLB factor since 2022, but he gives the organization emergency catching depth. His -0.3 WAR in 29 games with the Giants this season lines up with what the White Sox have gotten from Drew Romo (-0.6 WAR) and Edgar Quero (-0.9 WAR).
Two days earlier, on July 26, the White Sox picked up right-handed starter José Urquidy from the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed reliever Felix Doroteo. The move was strange on both ends.
Urquidy adds insurance to the rotation and was immediately sent to Triple-A Charlotte, but he does nothing to help Chicago chase the AL Central. Doroteo, the return piece, is a 21-year-old Arizona Complex League reliever who was part of the White Sox’s 2025 international signing class and missed the entire year with injury.
Ahead of the deadline, David James also laid out the White Sox’s biggest needs on August 2, and the fan base weighed in through a deadline-focused Reacts poll. Noah Schultz came out as the rostered rookie most fans would be willing to move in a deal to help the team for the stretch run.
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White Sox Bullpen Help Is Here But The Deadline Debate Isnt Over
The White Sox kept working the bullpen market by adding another veteran arm from outside the organization, this time in a deal with the Mets. New York sent Huascar Brazobn to Chicago for Double-A pitcher Gabe Davis and Triple-A pitcher Zach Franklin, continuing a deadline stretch that has already brought more turnover to the relief mix after the club moved Seranthony Domnguez and added Luis Castillo.
Brazobn gives Chicago another experienced option as the front office tries to stabilize the back end and sort out what this staff looks like over the final stretch. The move also underscores that the deadline conversation is not finished, because the White Sox have already shown a willingness to keep adjusting the bullpen while weighing how much more help still needs to come in. [Read more 🡒]
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The fit, though, is not going to be debated only on the basis of range and arm strength. Doyles recent offensive struggles are part of the calculation, and they will keep the conversation pointed at whether the White Sox are betting on his defense to carry enough weight while they try to extract more at the plate. For a club trying to reshape its roster with an eye on stability, this is exactly the kind of move that can look smart in one season and be questioned in the next. [Read more 🡒]