MLB Rumors: Surprising White Sox Player Becoming Trade Candidate

It sounds almost blasphemous, the mere idea of the Chicago White Sox even considering the remote possibility of trading beloved All-Star closer Liam Hendriks, so soon after his courageous battle to kick cancer's butt and return to the Chicago lineup. 

But according to Ken Rosenthal and Levi Weaver of The Athletic, that is a distinct possibility, as the ChiSox consider a sell-off if they don't go on a run over the next several weeks to make a run at the division title. 

Their player most in demand, if he returns to form, might be the season’s best comeback story, closer Liam Hendriks.

Think the (Los Angeles) Dodgers wouldn’t want Hendriks after blowing two straight ninth-inning leads to the (Cincinnati) Reds? How about the (Tampa Bay) Rays and (Texas) Rangers, whose biggest weaknesses are their bullpens? Heck, virtually every contender, even those with established closers, could use Hendriks if he is right.

In today’s Windup, The Athletic’s free daily baseball newsletter, I write about a potentially interesting trade candidate if the White Sox sell. With @ThreeTwoEephus. https://t.co/6wNz440VLd

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 8, 2023

The 34-year-old closer rejoined the White Sox last week, but is still working back up to his All-Star form. He has one save in four appearances, but his fastball is still down a couple of mph as he works to regain his full strength. 

As Rosenthal and Weaver note, he'll likely only be traded if he's pitching well, and if a deal does go down, his $15M club option for next season would become guaranteed.

The White Sox are currently 3.5 games out of the AL Central lead, but are sitting at 27-35, and not looking like a real threat come playoff time, one way or the other.

Photo: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports