The White Sox have traded Erick Fedde to the Cardinals as part of a three-team deal with the Dodgers. According to ESPN, the full trade includes seven players.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports, that the Cardinals are sending utilityman Tommy Edman to the Dodgers, while the White Sox are sending Tommy Pham and Fedde to the Cardinals and Michael Kopech to the Dodgers. The White Sox will receive at least three infield prospects from the Dodgers including Miguel Vargas, Alexander Albertus, and Jeral Perez.
Albertus is the 23rd-ranked prospect in the Dodgers farm system according to MLB Pipeline. The 19-year-old infielder was promoted to Single-A this season after hitting .298 with 42 home runs for the ACL Dodgers in the Rookie League. He hasn’t faired as well in A-ball slashing .229/.317/.329 in his first 70 at-bats. What Albertus will add to the White Sox farm system is some much-needed plate discipline. He has shown a knack for getting on base in his young career, drawing 107 walks in his first three seasons as a pro. In his first 85 games, he drew 70 walks and struck out just 40 times.
Perez is the Dodgers 17th ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The 19-year-old has shown some solid power, hitting 11 home runs last season, and 10 so far this season in low-A ball. The Dodgers initially signed him for $397,500 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, as part of their international class. He was promoted to Single-A as an 18-year-old after slugging .503 with a .892 OPS in 53 games of Rookie Ball last season. During that stretch, he drove in 41 RBIs. Scouts believe he could turn into a 20-plus home run player down the road given his fast hands and raw power.
Fedde has been excellent for the White Sox this season and was a borderline All-Star candidate. In 21 starts he owns a 3.11 ERA, 4.7 WAR, and 108 strikeouts in 121.1 innings of work. His 6.8% walk rate is also the lowest in his career. White Sox general manager Chris Getz took a flier on Fedde this offseason, inking him to a two-year deal for $15 million. The move was considered a gamble at the time.
The 31-year-old right-hander had spent the previous season pitching for the KBO’s NC Dinos. The decision to pitch in South Korea came after the Nationals declined to offer him a contract in 2022. During Fedde’s final season with the Nationals, he went 6-13 with a 5.81 ERA with a .283 expected batting average against him.
However, while pitching for the NC Dino’s Fedde rediscovered his form. He overhauled his pitch arsenal, trading his curveball for a sweeper and altering his changeup grip. The changes paid off as he took home KBO MVP honors and caught the attention of the White Sox.
It’s easy to see why a team like the Cardinals, who are in the thick of the NL Wildcard race, would want Fedde. He is under team control for one more season and owed just $7.5 million. That is pretty good value for a pitcher of Fedde’s caliber.
