The Chicago White Sox are heating up, and their young, exciting roster is turning heads across the league. But if they want to make a serious postseason push, there's one glaring hole they need to fill: the starting rotation.
According to Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller, the White Sox's biggest trade deadline need is adding an arm—or maybe two—to their rotation. As Miller puts it, "going for it" would mean bolstering a current playoff rotation of Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Erick Fedde, and either Noah Schultz or a bullpen game. The catch? Even Fedde, a nine-year veteran, has never pitched in the postseason. Experience matters when the stakes are highest.
But here's the good news: the White Sox have the payroll flexibility to make a splash. With a payroll roughly half of what it was just a few years ago, money shouldn't be an issue. Miller suggests that names like Robbie Ray, Sandy Alcantara, or Nathan Eovaldi could be on the table.
Of those, Alcantara feels like the most intriguing possibility. The former Cy Young winner (with a solid 3.66 ERA) is in the final year of his contract, and the Miami Marlins are facing an uphill battle for an NL Wild Card spot. Now is the perfect time for the Marlins to cash in on his value—and the White Sox should be first in line to make a deal.
Whether it's a proven veteran or a young ace, adding rotation depth could be the difference between a fun season and a deep October run. For Chicago fans, the trade deadline just got a lot more interesting.
