With less than 50 days until the trade deadline, the White Sox are in an unenviable position. Despite their poor play in the first half of the season, the AL Central Division is still ripe for the taking. 

The White Sox still have holes at second base and the rotation but with the expanded 12-team postseason field, more teams will be in the market to buy than ever. More buyers also mean fewer sellers. 

Tough Market For The White Sox To Buy 

This could prove to be problematic for the White Sox, who have the 26th-ranked farm system in the MLB and few assets to trade. Outside of Colson Montgomery, Oscar Colas, Bryan Ramos, Noah Shultz, Sean Burke, Peyton Pallette, Jonathan Cannon, and Norge Vera, there is little left in the cupboard regarding prospects other teams would want. 

Rick Hahn is unlikely to mortgage the future for a team that is under .500, especially if they plan on blowing it all up and retooling during the offseason. 

As far as teams that will definitely be sellers at the deadline, the list is short. The Oakland A’s, Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals, and Colorado Rockies are the only four teams that look like definite sellers at the deadline. That list could change the closer we get to the trade deadline, but with the AL and NL Central being s battle of mediocrity, there are more teams that feel they are “in it” than ever. 

Zack Greinke could be an arm to add to the rotation for depth, but interdivisional trades are hard, and Greinke is no longer the pitcher who will put a team over the top. 

The Nationals will be shopping right fielder Lane Thomas and third baseman Jemier Candelario. Both could be of interest to the White Sox but neither moves the meter in terms of game-changing ability. 

Lots of teams are in the market for starting pitching. Since the White Sox would likely get outbid by going after one of the marquee arms at the deadline, such as Marcus Stroman, Jack Flaherty, or Eduardo Rodriguez, they may be better served trading one of their arms. 

Starting Pitchers Are Valuable 

If the White Sox drop out of contention in the next few weeks, Lucas Giolito is the first name to watch. Trading Giolito now would be waving the white flag on the season. He has been the best starter in the rotation this season, and as previously mentioned, the depth behind him is thin. If he were traded, the White Sox climb to the top of the division would become much steeper. 

However, Giolito is one of the few quality options available, and it does not look like the White Sox will bring him back next season. If they intend to let him walk in free agency, why not try and shop him and get an actual contender to overpay? 

If history has taught us anything, it’s that Rick Hahn is good at getting other teams to overpay. Just look at Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, and Adam Eaton for reference.  

Dylan Cease is another name that would net a good haul. He is fresh off a Cy Young-caliber season and is still under team control until 2025. It would be hard to see the White Sox trading Cease at this point, but with the thin pitching market, they will be sure to see some intriguing offers for him. 

Mike Clevinger is another name that teams could be interested in as a rental. Since coming to Chicago, the results have been mixed but his stuff has looked sharp. There are definitely contending teams out there that would be willing to take a flier on Clevinger as a back end of the rotation depth piece. 

Deep Reliever Market 

There are over a dozen relievers that should be on the trade market. That is tough news for the White Sox, who have plenty of relievers they could trade but may not be able to get the value they are looking for from them. 

Joe Kelly is the first name that comes to mind. His stuff has been filthy this season, and he has pitched on winning teams before. 

Kendall Graveman has logged six saves and posted a 2.86 ERA in 29 games, so he could be attractive to other contenders at the deadline.

Trading either of them would provide a blow to Pedro Grifol, who already is thin on options late in games with Liam Hendriks back on the IL. Given the way the White Sox offense operates, they need all the bullpen help they can get to protect leads. 

It is a tough position for the White Sox, and there really is no good solution. If you sell you throw away a chance to win the division but get assets back for some players who probably won’t be with the team next year anyway. If you try to buy, you risk overpaying or not getting anything of real value since it will be a competitive trade market. 

It’s going to be fascinating to see how it all unfolds, and it will be sure to leave plenty of fans disappointed.