The process is you have a surplus at one position and you use it to strengthen the position where you have a deficit.

You go into that with an open mind and make everyone available. You may prefer to trade player A but if the haul is appreciably better for player B, you make that trade.

The process is followed regardless of the player names involved. It's a lot like any other forms of investing. Don't get too attached to the equity. It's just part of the inventory.

Trading Mune Vargas Bonemer Antonacci Meidroth Burke Taylor Peters...selling high

Trading Colson Quero Teel Braden Carlson...pretty much the opposite.

(Well, maybe Braden's somewhere in the middle.)

15 hours ago, PaleAleSox said:

I think you extend Vargas and Mune right now and let the rest sort itself out over the next couple of years.

What makees you think either one of them want to be extended?

2 minutes ago, oldsox said:

What makees you think either one of them want to be extended?

Good vibes lol.

"That just seemed like a miserably unlucky series, but the Sox are definitely the better team." (motown boards)

"Take Greene out of the lineup, subtract Skubal and Mize, and, yes, the White Sox are a better team. Today would have been Skubal on the mound. Handcuffing the 2026 team was a choice, one they may still overcome but I'm still kind of sore about the trades."

7 hours ago, nitetrain8601 said:

I think some folks are looking too long term and some too short term. They're not going to have the makeup of their entire team, including bench, after this offseason. You'll likely see a platoon of Peters and maybe Doyle. I think after next season, they'll make a decision on Colson, Bonemer, Carlson. Mune is the only lock to get an extension.

They'll likely trade some of the middle infield depth for SP. Seattle, for right now, looks like a good trade partner. Pittsburgh could be too, but they may want to hold onto the SP if they don't plan on ever getting any hitters outside of Bryan Reynolds.

I expect one impactful move in the offseason outside of a resigned Mune. Two max.

I don’t think Carlson really factors into things at all at the moment. He may force his way into the mix eventually, but there is still too much development needed with the bat to have him be part of your mid term plan. Same applies to Fauske, Prosek, & Thome. All super fun & interesting prospects, but for 2027 to 2029 (what we should be focused on this offseason) they are nothing more than ammo to improve the major league roster if needed.

To me, it’s really just Bonemer (since he’s getting very close to be ready) and Roch (because he should move fast given his skill set & 1.01 status) that you need to plan around. And as I outlined in my original post, you probably don’t need to make a decision on who the odd man out is for another year since we can simply replace Benintendi with Caleb when the time comes.

I do think someone eventually goes for a SP like you said. I think you’re right that SEA & PIT are the two most likely trade partners. Just doubtful that we see that move this offseason. I think we’ll use their payroll flexibility to sign a big SP and pair them with Burke, Castilo, and some combo of Martin, Kay, Schultz, McDougal, Thorpe, & Shane Smith to start the 2027 season. If one of the young guys doesn’t step up in the first half of next year, then you start looking to the trade market at the deadline and following offseason to add a controllable SP.

15 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Trading Mune Vargas Bonemer Antonacci Meidroth Burke Taylor Peters...selling high

Trading Colson Quero Teel Braden Carlson...pretty much the opposite.

(Well, maybe Braden's somewhere in the middle.)

I don’t think the Sox trade any of these guys just yet. The positional crunch is another year out and I think you can let some of these guys build up their value. The payroll should have plenty of space for another two years before a bunch of guys start hitting arbitration. For this offseason, we should be focused on adding in free agency, especially if the new CBA comes with a payroll floor.

9 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I don’t think the Sox trade any of these guys just yet. The positional crunch is another year out and I think you can let some of these guys build up their value. The payroll should have plenty of space for another two years before a bunch of guys start hitting arbitration. For this offseason, we should be focused on adding in free agency, especially if the new CBA comes with a payroll floor.

Buy low on Jazz Chisholm or make a bet on fixing Peralta?

We can and probably should scratch Skubal off the wish list.

MLB Trade Rumors

2026-27 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings: June Update

The 2026 season is approaching the halfway point. Which impending free agents are trending up? Find out in the latest MLBTR rankings!

Sonny Gray will finish Top 3 in the AL Cy race...at current pace.

At his age, he and Michael King are now clearly the 1A options to Skubal.

And going after an established closer like Chapman does make MORE sense now.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by caulfield12

Short term view:

Resign Newcomb

Have a plan for Mune, either extend or start planning trade

Sign a frontline FA pitcher

Sign a FA catcher (Tyler Stephenson would be nice)

Start extension talks with Vargas

4 minutes ago, Falstaff said:

Short term view:

Resign Newcomb

Have a plan for Mune, either extend or start planning trade

Sign a frontline FA pitcher

Sign a FA catcher (Tyler Stephenson would be nice)

Start extension talks with Vargas

Hudson/Taylor stay as your co-closers?

Still not 100% settled if Sato is coming over from NPB, because he would be in limbo if not signed right off the bat in the period following the World Series, but before the strike/lookout. Will signing early or waiting for new financial landscape advantage or disadvantage him? Unclear.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by caulfield12

2 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Hudson/Taylor stay as your co-closers?

That is to be determined, does Taylor get moved to SP.

Caufield who are some of the Japanese FA SP that will be available. I am not familiar with the Japan League.

15 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Buy low on Jazz Chisholm or make a bet on fixing Peralta?

We can and probably should scratch Skubal off the wish list.

Why we would we buy low on Chisholm? For CF?

11 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Hudson/Taylor stay as your co-closers?

Still not 100% settled if Sato is coming over from NPB, because he would be in limbo if not signed right off the bat in the period following the World Series, but before the strike/lookout. Will signing early or waiting for new financial landscape advantage or disadvantage him? Unclear.

The bullpen is mostly set for next year. Taylor, Hicks, & Brazoban from the right side and then Hudson, Hagen (I think he spends 2027 in major league bullpen), & Murphy from the left side. Ideally you bring back Newcomb (I’d do a two year deal with him) or replace him with a guy who can handle high leverage. The long man can be one of the guys who loses out for the final SP spots.

1 hour ago, oldsox said:

What makees you think either one of them want to be extended?

You gotta try. Make them continue to say no

This is a great thread. Lots of really good thoughts on the future of this team.

Chisholm would be for CF.

Star power, 30/30 skills like Robert but very disappointing this year.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dodgers-expected-pursue-star-japanese-230003927.html

Itoh is one of the pitchers mentioned frequently, but nobody even at the level of Imai, who has struggled mightily with the astros this season.

More likely to get a reliever this cycle.

https://www.justbaseball.com/international-baseball/npb-top-15-starting-pitcher-rankings-2026/

https://www.espn.co.uk/mlb/story/_/id/48185225/mlb-2026-wbc-world-baseball-classic-japan-future-stars

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by caulfield12

The Sox have 3 more years of control on Doyle. I doubt Getz acquired him to not give him a shot in CF beyond this season, whether that’s the right move or not.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by WhiteSox2023

This topic is arguably going to be the biggest test that Getz faces over the next 24 months. It's a good problem to have, but the decisions they make will have ultimately decide the direction this team goes.

Future success isn't a guarantee, even from players with established ML Service time. This has been the breakout season for Vargas, but are his 450 AB's in 2026 who he is moving forward, or is he the guy from his previous 1000 AB's in MLB? That's not throwing shade at Vargas at all, but it's the reality of what you have to decide.

Colson sported an .840 OPS in 2025 (255 AB's) and is currently sitting at a .722 OPS in 2026. Where is that OPS going to be in 2028, 2029?

The numbers historically tell you one of Bonemer/Roch probably aren't going to turn into the players we are hoping for, that's just how the prospect game works.

The point is, if you aren't playing with the payroll and infrastructure a team like the Dodgers have, the hit rate on your decisions has to be higher. You aren't going to be able to buy your way out of mistakes. The difference with this "rebuild" than the last is the core of Abreu-Anderson-Eloy-Moncada-Robert-Vaughn-Giolito was basically set in the stone, there was nothing in the minor leagues that warranted tough decisions having to be made. And when Eloy-Moncada-Robert-Vaughn all turned into pumpkins, it was over.

So Getz finds himself in a much better situation, but one that presents different challenges. And it should be pretty exciting to see what transpires, hopefully there is a 2027 for us to watch it unfold.

trade frenzy is a mental illness from being a fan of a habitual losing organization. This seems more exclusive to baseball than any other sport. Applying the baseball model to the NFL and it wouldn't work very well.

It doesn't take long for the knee jerk reactions when a player has a disappointing moment for one to use the word trade. We somehow think a GM doesn't see the same things we do.

Baseball is the least predictable sport. Yet we don't treat it that way.

You would think organizations would also realize the sport has become more injury prone. Working players at other positions would seem to be a good idea in the minors. I think it would sort out players who have a high baseball IQ. Most teams draft OF and SS since those are usually the mot athletic players.

It wasn't long ago we bragged about the Sox being strong at catcher. What more evidence does one need to know this is the least predictable sport. I think any organization that is strong at catcher is more of a myth.

2 hours ago, Bob Sacamano said:

You gotta try. Make them continue to say no

Yah, I'm not sure what those 2 guys want. I once thought Mune will go to Dodgers and pair up with his buddy Ohtani and replace Freeman, whose contract will expire at end of 2027. Vargas?? Probably just wants to test Free Agent waters one time.

taylor will get a chance to start next year, that seems obvious imo. they want him around 80-90ip this year and 120-150 next.

To me, the two biggest unknowns are Peters and Bonemer. I have no idea how good Peters might get. With an off season of hard-core workouts, he might get some real power next year and be more valuable. Bonemer has to find a position and hit.

If Doyle doesn't hit by mid 2027, he probably won't.

If under the current CBA I'm using every arb year I have on the young core before I lock any of them up long term. Too scorned from the Robert, Moncada and Eloy deals. Let Beni walk and rotate in Bonemer and Roch with a rotating DH until they hopefully prove they are every day players. Carlson is years away and needs to prove he can hit, should have traded him already IMO, but now they'll need to wait and let him try to raise his stock again. None of the FA hitters in 2027 are really attractive to me as an every day player. I don't think you really need to worry about it until 2028 at the earliest and that assumes Bonemer and Roch can hit at the ML level.

25 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

taylor will get a chance to start next year, that seems obvious imo. they want him around 80-90ip this year and 120-150 next.

You think so? I feel like they don’t feel his body can handle the rigors of starting.

17 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

You think so? I feel like they don’t feel his body can handle the rigors of starting.

Seems like just a myth. He's built like a brick s%*# house regardless. I'd be much more worried about Noah, who at 22 apparently already has a chronic tendonitus issue in his knee.