MLB Rumors: White Sox Have 3 "Obvious" Trade Candidates

Although things have been looking up a bit lately, the Chicago White Sox continue to struggle along eight games back in the AL Central, at 12 games under .500 with a 4.6% chance to make the playoffs as per Fangraphs. They are still being considered as a seller on the trade market this summer. 

According to MLB Insider Jon Heyman, there are three "obvious" trade candidates on the ChiSox:

Lucas Giolito

A free agent at the end of the season who's seemed to have rediscovered his touch for the most part this year after a dreadful 2022. Giolito is currently sporting a 3.86 ERA in nine starts, with a 1.12 WHIP and a very impressive 65:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 53.2 innings. He's a former All-Star and has received Cy Young votes several times in his career; he is well-regarded as the most likely to go.

Mike Clevinger

Another pending free agent, but not with the same interest out on the market. He came back last season after missing 2021 due to Tommy John surgery, and simply didn't look like the dominant pitcher he'd once been. His 22 starts for the San Diego Padres were shaky, and his nine outings for the Pale Hose this year have been even more of a roller coaster ride. He sits on a 4.56 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP and is walking 4.2 batters per nine. 

But he's only 32, and there could be some teams who believe they could work on some tweaks and get him back to his sub-3.00 ERA days.

Lance Lynn

The 36-year-old has been nowhere close to his career norms, struggling to a 6.66 ERA, over three runs higher than his 3.61 lifetime mark. He's striking out a career-high 10.7 per nine, but has given up a league-high 61 hits and opponents are pounding him with an .845 OPS and .290 average. 

But he's only two years removed from an All-Star season and a 3rd-place finish in Cy Young balloting. On name value alone, he could bring back some assets to the White Sox in a trade.

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