White Sox linked to trade for pitcher no one would have guessed

The Chicago White Sox are shockingly smack dab in the middle of the American League playoff race, and even with Munetaka Murakami on the shelf, they are staying afloat.

However, it’s pretty clear that if the White Sox want to make a serious run during the second half of the season, they’ll need to make some adjustments. And while adding another bat would be nice, Chicago’s pitching staff has been the bigger issue.

The White Sox have very limited depth in their starting rotation. Once you get past Davis Martin and Sean Burke, there really isn’t much there, and it’s not like they have any exciting internal options on deck.

Whether or not Chicago decides to buy at the MLB trade deadline remains to be seen, but if the White Sox are serious about contending here in 2026, there is no question they must add at least one arm to bolster their staff.

On that subject, Noah Phalen of Southside Showdown has pitched a surprising potential trade target that no one would have anticipated: Colorado Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano.

Chicago White Sox linked to trade for Tomoyuki Sugano

Phalen mentioned several names as possibilities for the White Sox, but he specifically singled out Sugano due to the fact that he has posted respectable numbers in spite of being in the worst pitching confines in all of baseball.

Sugano has logged a 4.08 ERA and 1.288 WHIP this season, allowing 68 hits while registering 39 strikeouts over 68.1 innings of work. Not surprisingly, the 36-year-old has been much better away from Coors Field, where he has posted a 3.62 ERA and 1.179 WHIP.

There are some concerns with his profile, however.

Sugano’s ground-ball rate is only at 37.6 percent this season, which isn’t great for a pitcher who doesn’t strike hitters out. He is also allowing a barrel rate of 15 percent, and only 9.3 percent of the contact he has surrendered has been soft contact.

It should also be noted that Sugano was not exactly impressive during his debut big-league campaign with the Baltimore Orioles in 2025, pitching to the tune of a 4.64 ERA while giving up 33 home runs. And that was only in 157 frames.

If Sugano comes incredibly cheap, perhaps a trade would be worth a shot for the Chicago, but I’m not so sure that he is the target the White Sox should be seeking.

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