The White Sox have several well-known trade chips this year. Adrian Houser, Luis Robert Jr., Mike Tauchman, and Austin Slater have all been part of trade rumors for some time and will likely be moving before the month ends. However, they aren't the only White Sox players generating significant interest. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has reported that teams are "all over" rookie right-handed pitcher Grant Taylor in trade conversations, per a club source.
Emerging Trade Target
It is easy to see why opposing teams covet Taylor. He entered the season as a top-100 caliber prospect with electric stuff, and that talent has already translated into MLB success. In 15 games with the White Sox big league club, he has pitched to an impressive 3.93 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 1.57 FIP, 11.3 K/9, and 3.83 K/BB ratio with quality peripherals to back everything up. He is also only 23 years old and is controllable through the rest of the decade. As a flame-throwing reliever with the potential to transition back into a starting pitcher later, Taylor has a sky-high ceiling in either role. He can help contending teams as a reliever right now and represents a long-term fixture for any pitching staff.
White Sox Apparent Reluctance
In the report, Rosenthal also mentioned that the White Sox are "uncomfortable" even discussing the idea of trading Taylor. As one of the young core players on the team, it makes sense why they wouldn't want to move him. He projects to be an integral piece of the pitching staff moving forward, and for a team that traditionally does not spend on premium free agent talent, keeping Taylor as part of the new core is a logical path moving forward.
Long-Term Needs
While it seems unlikely that Taylor will go anywhere, the organization's long-term outlook is worth considering. Even after a strong 2025 draft class that featured several high-ceiling position players, the franchise still lacks impact hitting talent, particularly in the outfield. Trading Taylor for hitting could be an unconventional avenue for the White Sox to get more impact hitting talent into the organization. Should the team seriously entertain the idea of trading Taylor, they would undoubtedly get a flurry of intriguing offers for him.
Final Word
The odds of Grant Taylor being traded at this year's deadline are likely very low. The White Sox have no reason to trade him, short of a godfather offer they couldn't refuse. Still, Rosenthal's report is a new development worth keeping an eye on as the trade deadline nears. Chris Getz and the rest of the front office must keep all potential avenues to improve the team open, even if they are outside the box.
