While most people knew that the White Sox were going to be huge sellers at the deadline, most figured they would try and trade some bullpen arms if they could, as the return for an average reliever at the deadline was elevated due to the market. Tanner Banks was one of the best arms in the bullpen for the White Sox in 2024, and as a lefty, that helped his value significantly.
There was clearly some demand for Banks, as the Philadelphia Phillies shipped out infielder William Bergolla in exchange for Tanner Banks on the day of the deadline.
For the White Sox, Tanner Banks had a very solid 4.13 ERA over 48 innings. In those 48 innings, Banks struck out 55 batters, which is a good K/9 ratio. He also had a solid 1.29 WHIP, however, hitters hit .257 against him, which is a bit high. The Phillies did not mind, as despite that average against, Banks got plenty of outs, and he has multiple years of team control beyond this season. That was a huge selling point for the White Sox, as he was more than just a rental.
Since the trade, Banks has been just as good for the Phillies. In 23.1 innings, Banks has a 3.86 ERA with 21 strikeouts. His batting average against has improved slightly, as hitters are only hitting .242 off of him. However, his WHIP has increased to 1.37 for the Phillies. For some reason, Banks has walked more batters and struck out less since the trade, but his ERA is lower. Relievers are extremely volatile, so trading them when you get a chance is always good practice, unless you have a truly elite reliever.
While Banks has been solid for the Phillies, the return for the White Sox was absolutely fantastic. In return for Banks, the White Sox acquired minor league infielder William Bergolla.
Before the trade, at high A, Bergolla was hitting .295 with a .350 OBP. He had hit one homerun and added 29 RBIs. He had 22 walks compared to 30 strikeouts, while adding 18 stolen bases. Bergolla was ranked in the top half of the Phillies top-30, so this was a good return for banks.
However, since the trade, Bergolla has been even better.
In 22 games at Winston-Salem, Bergolla has hit .316 with a .386 OBP. He hasn’t hit a homerun, but he has added 11 RBIs. He has an extremely solid walk to strikeout ratio, as he has walked seven times compared to just eight strikeouts. On top of that impressive stat line, he has added nine stolen bases.
While Bergolla isn’t be a power hitter, he has great contact skills and finds a way to get on base. Plus, once he gets on base, he is a threat to steal a base. Currently, Bergolla ranks as the White Sox 15th ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline.
The best part of this trade is the fact that Bergolla is just 19, so he is playing against guys that are much older than him, all while putting up great numbers. He will likely start the season at Winston Salem again, but don’t be surprised if he gets a promotion to AA at some point.
While other teams may have gotten more for their relievers of similar skill level, Bergolla is an extremely talented prospect, so it is still a great return. Unfortunately, we won’t see Bergolla for a few years, as he is just 19. The White Sox get an A- for this trade.
