White Sox’s MLB trade deadline plans just took an unfortunate turn

The Chicago White Sox appear to be the cream of the crop in the AL Central, as they just took the first two games of a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians to grab a two-game lead over the Guardians in the loss column for first place in the division.

However, even with the White Sox sitting at 41-37 and firmly in playoff contention, it’s clear this team has significant problems that need to be addressed.

The most glaring of all is Chicago’s starting rotation, which has incredibly limited depth beyond Davis Martin and Sean Burke and doesn’t have any immediate internal answers. As a result, the White Sox are expected to pursue starting pitching before the MLB trade deadline, but will they actually be able to land anyone?

Two names that were floated as possibilities for Chicago were Los Angeles Angels pitchers Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano given the fact that the Angels are essentially out of the playoff race at this point, but Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY has revealed some rough news for the South Siders on that front.

Apparently, the Angels won’t be moving either hurler.

Chicago White Sox receive bad MLB trade deadline news

Nightengale has reported that Los Angeles does not seem to be in any rush to move some of its more desirable pieces between now and Aug. 3.

“The Los Angeles Angels also plan to retain their key players at the deadline with owner Arte Moreno not wanting to unload starters Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano, or outfielder Jo Adell. Detmers and Soriano still are under team control through 2028, while Adell is eligible for free agency after the 2027 season,” Nightengale wrote.

Detmers had been linked to the White Sox numerous times in recent weeks, featuring a strong profile in terms of strikeouts and underlying metrics that had many teams interested in the left-hander. Soriano, meanwhile, leads the league with 46 walks, but owns a 3.03 ERA and boasts a 138 ERA+.

Of course, it’s still possible that the Angels have a change of heart in the coming weeks, and it’s entirely possible they are just trying to gain leverage in trade talks by pretending that neither pitcher is available. But whether or not Chicago would want to pay such an exorbitant price for either arm is the question.

The White Sox definitely have assets in their farm system, but they may decide not to mortgage the future just because they are a year or two ahead of schedule.

We’ll see if Chicago does decide to make a push to improve its starting rotation as we inch closer and closer to the deadline.

The post White Sox’s MLB trade deadline plans just took an unfortunate turn appeared first on ChiCitySports.