The MLB trade deadline is coming up in about one month, as it is set for July 31st at 5 PM Central. With the White sox expected to be busy, it should be an interesting time for White Sox fans, as they could add a few solid pieces to the rebuild.
The White Sox could use a boost out of some of their trade candidates, as if they want to get the most value out of every player they trade, it is best that they are playing well into that last stretch of games before the deadline.
Luckily for the White Sox, two of their trade candidates have been playing better than their start to their season, which can bode well for them in a trade.
Josh Rojas is one of those pieces, as it was pretty much a given that the White Sox would try and flip him at the deadline when they signed him, as they had a few infield prospects they likely wanted to give playing time to at some point this season. Rojas started the season off on the IL and after a hot start back, he cooled off tremendously. On the season he is hitting .185 with a .262 OBP. He's added six doubles, six RBIs, and four stolen bases. However, Rojas has been much better over the last 15 games.
Over the last 15 games, Rojas is hitting .243 with a .300 OBP. This is much closer to the player that he's been over his career, and if he can continue that with his solid defense in the field, he could be appealing to a team looking for a veteran utility infielder.
Michael A. Taylor is also playing much better as of late, as he is hitting .250 with a very solid .343 OBP and .417 slugging percentage over his last 30 games. Over that same timeframe, he's added two homeruns, nine RBIs, and one stolen base.
On the season Taylor is hitting just .214. with a .287 OBP, but if he keeps this up, those numbers will continue to climb. A team that is interested in Taylor will look to his other abilities, as he is a very good outfielder and is very solid on the bases, as he is 7 for 9 in stolen base attempts. Taylor also has some pop in his bat, as he has hit four home runs this season and had 21 just two seasons ago. He could be the perfect 4th outfielder on a playoff team, especially if he is playing like he has over the last 30 games.
Additionally, some other performances of note that could get the White Sox a solid return are on the pitching side of things. Adrian Houser has a fantastic 1.9 ERA over seven starts for the White Sox, and he should be in high demand, as teams will looking for starting pitching at the trade deadline.
Aaron Civale has a 4.5 ERA over three starts with the White Sox, Tyler Alexander has a 2.87 ERA in six games with the White Sox, and Brandon Eisert has a 2.45 ERA over his last 15 games with the White Sox. While none of these guys are expected to get a top prospect, the White Sox could get a decent flier in exchange for them.
In an ideal world, Andrew Benintendi catches fire over the last month, Luis Robert Jr. comes back heathy and looks good when he returns, and every other player that could be traded breaks out over this next month. While that is unlikely, it is nice to see some of the players that could be traded playing well as we head into this last stretch before the deadline, as that could have an impact on their return in a trade.
