Chicago White Sox’s unthinkable trade deadline ‘temptation’ revealed

The Chicago White Sox have been one of baseball’s most pleasant surprises this season, as they are right in the thick of the AL Central race with June approaching.

The White Sox have slowed down a bit recently, having gone just 5-5 over their last 10 games, but there is little reason to believe that they don’t have staying power in a divisional race that doesn’t feature any true juggernauts.

It begs the question: what will Chicago do at the MLB trade deadline?

The White Sox were expected by everyone (including themselves, surely) to be sellers by Aug. 3, but the fact that they are clearly ahead of schedule and are legitimately in contention may have changed things for general manager Chris Getz.

So will Chicago still sell off some pieces? Will it go into buy mode? Or will it do a little bit of both?

Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly knows what the White Sox will probably want to do over the next couple of months.

Chicago White Sox would probably like to sell

Chicago absolutely has some players that other teams would want, and that includes first baseman Munetaka Murakami.

“But what if a power-needy team tried to overwhelm them to get Munetaka Murakami, who is only signed through 2027? How about if a club in need of starting pitching made a push for Davis Martin, and put a lot on the table because the late bloomer can’t become a free agent until after 2030?” Kelly wrote.

While Kelly feels that the White Sox should stand pat, he can’t help but ignore the elephant in the room.

“The feeling here is Getz’s best move would be to stand pat at the deadline, assuming the White Sox aren’t buyers. There will be some temptation to sell, however,” Kelly added.

Chicago signed Murakami to a two-year, $34 million deal out of Japan over the winter, so the 26-year-old slugger will be hitting free agency after 2027 unless the White Sox are able to lock him up on a long-term contract.

Martin, meanwhile, has finally come into his own with a 2.04 ERA and 2.29 FIP through 10 starts this season, but considering that he is already 29 years old, Chicago may feel it would be best to sell high on the right-hander, who is under club control through 2030.

Somehow, the White Sox have managed to become one of the most interesting teams in the league this year, and they will also be one of the most intriguing squads to monitor on the trade front.

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