The White Sox are sitting at 51-45, and that record puts them in a spot where buying at the deadline makes sense. In a market that favors sellers, Chicago has a chance to act now rather than wait, especially with the possibility of a lockout next year speeding up the timeline.
The bigger picture is pretty clear: the lineup is already set for now and for the future, so the real need is on the mound. With Roch Cholowsky in the fold as the No. 1 overall pick, the White Sox also have prospects they can actually move if they decide to chase a real difference-maker.
That lines up with what Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported earlier this week, saying the White Sox are "willing to be relatively aggressive" on players with control at the Trade Deadline, but are "not inclined to overpay for rentals".
So if Chicago is going to swing, the target list should start with arms that bring more than a short-term fix.
Reid Detmers is one name that has already been tied to the White Sox plenty. The Angels left-hander, a former first-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, has put together one of his strongest seasons as a starter. The surface numbers don’t jump off the page - his career ERA sits at 4.64, and he has a 4.16 ERA this year - but the underlying metrics tell a different story.
Baseball Savant has Detmers at a 3.23 xERA this season, almost a full run better than the ERA. A big reason is the fastball-slider mix, which has been especially nasty. His slider has produced a .179 xBA and a .247 xSLG.
He also comes with plenty of team control, since he won’t reach free agency until after the 2028 season. That kind of runway makes him the sort of arm the White Sox could realistically chase.
Another fit is Logan Webb, and he checks a different box Chicago badly needs: innings. The Giants right-hander has thrown 190 or more innings in each of the last four seasons, and he led the league in that category in three of them.
He’s not just a volume arm, either. Webb is an elite pitcher who can pile up ground balls when he’s locked in.
His 3.86 ERA this season is his highest since 2020, but he’s also gone seven innings in four of his last five starts. Like Detmers, he’s under control through the 2028 season on a relatively affordable deal, five years and $90 million.
Then there’s Michael Wacha, a name that would test the old idea that inter-divisional trades never happen. The veteran right-hander from the Royals is coming off his second All-Star appearance in 2026 and is having a strong season of his own. He’s another starter who can work deep into games, though durability has been the issue at times over the course of his career.
Still, Wacha has made 79 starts since 2024 and posted a 3.65 ERA in that span. This year, he leads the league with 119.1 innings. His playoff résumé also stands out, with the 2013 NLCS MVP label carrying plenty of weight from that run, even if his postseason chances and results since then haven’t matched it.
Wacha is signed through 2027 and has a team option for 2028 worth $14 million.
If the White Sox are serious about making a run at the division and a possible postseason spot, one of these three arms has to be on the radar.
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