The Chicago White Sox have been one of Major League Baseball’s biggest surprises this season. After back-to-back sub-.500 seasons, the South Siders have found their way back into contention and are actually in control of the second American League wild card spot.
In addition, the White Sox are only 2 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central, so they are very much a contending team this season at 32-29. They have a very young club that could look to make some additions at the deadline. Perhaps the potential addition a starting pitcher could help them out.
Interestingly enough, Mike Axisa of CBS Sports believes that they could be an interesting fit for Freddy Peralta.
“The same teams that pursue (Tarik) Skubal also figure to pursue Peralta, and in some cases Peralta might even be Plan A given his bargain salary. The Cubs have already kicked the tires. For the sake of variety, let’s also list the Diamondbacks and White Sox (!) as potential Peralta destinations.”
Peralta Trade May Be Unlikely for White Sox
To get the obvious out of the way, the White Sox are still a very young team and are staying true to their plan, so now is likely not the time for them to go out and add somebody like Peralta.
It would cost a lot of prospects, and while the White Sox have a very strong farm system and could get it done, it just may not be worth it just yet, especially when Peralta is in the final year of his contract, and the White Sox likely wouldn’t be in a position to extend or re-sign the right-hander, so there is that to consider.
Besides, the American League Central is a relatively weak division, so it would be hard to imagine any of the five teams going out and making a big blockbuster addition, since that is typically not how they operate.
Peralta Could Transform White Sox Rotation
While it may seem unlikely, it is a fun idea. The White Sox have not been in the postseason since 2021. That was also the last time they finished above the .500 mark. They don’t have a true ace to lead the rotation, so adding Peralta would give them that guy.
This could also give them a better chance to chase down the Guardians and win the AL Central. Manager Will Venable would have more weapons at his disposal, and the South Siders could actually potentially make a deep run in the postseason.
Peralta is also a veteran, so having some leadership in a young clubhouse would be good for the team. It may be unlikely, but it certainly isn’t impossible, and it would give the White Sox a bit of an advantage as they fight for the top spot in the division. If not, it could allow them to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in the wild card race.
It will be interesting to see if general manager Chris Getz actually pursues a trade with the New York Mets.
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