Davis Martin continued his recent stretch of impressive performances last night by spinning a gem against the Seattle Mariners. He allowed just two runs over 7.1 innings, lowering his season totals to an impressive 3.49 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. After losing all of the 2023 season and most of 2024 to Tommy John Surgery, Martin has overcome adversity and is pitching some of the best ball of his MLB career right now. He is pitching so well that it is now fair to wonder if it might be in the best interests of both him personally and the White Sox organization if he found a new home by the trade deadline.
White Sox Abysmal Offense
It is no secret that the White Sox offense is bad. Entering the day, they rank tied for 27th in home runs, 28th in on-base percentage, 29th in slugging percentage, tied for last in batting average, and dead last in OPS among all MLB teams. Despite the team's overall struggles, several young players like Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth, Edgar Quero, and Tim Elko have shown promise recently, and more are coming. Braden Montgomery, Kyle Teel, and Colson Montgomery should be in Chicago soon. A nucleus and potential future lineup are taking shape thanks to trades and draft picks from the last few years.
Adding More Hitting Talent Is Essential
Still, the organization lacks talent on the hitting side and will have to put in substantial efforts to get the offense to be respectable again, let alone compete amongst the better teams in the league. It is a daunting task under normal circumstances, but even more difficult under the current ownership structure. Jerry Reinsdorf has never shown any inclination to spend on star free agents. As a result, the front office must find other ways to add impact hitters into the organization.
The White Sox have two golden opportunities to add more impact hitters. They pick 10th overall in the draft this coming July and will likely have a top pick in 2026, potentially even picking #1 if the lottery goes in their favor. They also have Luis Robert Jr. as a trade chip to add more young talent to the organization. Even though he has been struggling this season, his talent is undeniable and some team will likely give up something for him at the deadline. Martin's emergence is the newest development and an additional potential path to securing offense.
Potential Backwards Logic
On the surface, just the idea of trading Martin feels backward. After all, the team has been abysmal for several years and is finally trending upwards slowly but surely, with Martin playing a significant role in the turnaround. He has been one of the most consistent pitchers on the staff this year and will not reach free agency until after the 2030 season. There is a valid argument that the White Sox should keep him and consider him a building block moving forward. Trading him now would again make the big league team worse and feel like another move in the perpetual rebuild cycle. The White Sox have traded away just about anyone with even a glimpse of talent over the last few years. Trading Martin would be another example of that and would weaken an area of strength.
Developing Pitching Is An Organizational Strength
However, other factors are involved in this hypothetical beyond Martin's individual success. Developing pitching is an organizational strength and has been for some time. Shane Smith (25 years old), Jonathan Cannon (24), and Sean Burke (25) are all already in the big league rotation and have shown varying degrees of promise. The organization also has top pitching prospects Noah Schultz (21), Hagen Smith (21), and Grant Taylor (23) in the wings, as well as currently injured pitchers Drew Thorpe (24), Mason Adams (25), and Ky Bush (25) coming back next season. Lucas Gordon (23), Christian Oppor (20), and Tanner McDougal (22) are other pitchers with potential in the lower levels. Logic dictates that only a fraction of these pitchers will pan out, but the organization is much deeper in arms than in bats.
Different Timelines
At 28 years old, Martin is not old by any means. However, he is several years older than the other pitchers in the organization projected to play big roles on the team moving forward. Depending on how these prospects develop, they could leapfrog Martin in the rotation pecking order or bump him from the rotation entirely down the line. Martin will likely be on the "wrong" side of 30 by the time the White Sox are ready to compete again. This isn't to say that he will lose all of his pitching ability after turning 30, but it is possible his best years might not necessarily align with the team's future contention window.
Martin's Appealing Contract Situation
Martin's contract status is another factor in this situation. He will be in pre-arb through 2027 and has five and a half years of affordable team control remaining. Given how expensive starting pitching is on the free agent market, Martin's affordability and team control will undoubtedly attract suitors at the trade deadline, where pitching is always highly valued. He would be a cheap, long-term rotation for any team that acquires him.
Several contending teams could use pitching help, including the Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants, and Braves. These are just a few teams with clear cracks in their respective rotations, but virtually any contender could use a cheap, controllable pitcher like Martin. In turn, the White Sox could ask for a package of position player talent to further solidify their lineup moving forward. Martin lacks the pure stuff and track record of former teammate Garrett Crochet and almost certainly would not fetch as much as in a trade. Still, Martin has been pitching well in his own right and has significantly more team control than Crochet did. It is not unreasonable to think the White Sox could get a quality package of talent back for him.
Win/Win Situation For White Sox
Davis Martin is coming into his own as a pitcher at the MLB level. That in itself is a massive win for a former 14th-round pick. Given his age, talent, and team control, he is a guy that the White Sox should highly consider keeping for the long haul. However, the organization's current state and the restraints of ownership have put the front office in a tough spot. They have to assemble a formidable lineup without a ton of financial resources. Using Martin as a chip to rebuild the offense could be an avenue worth considering as we get closer to the July trade deadline.
