White Sox stand pat
When the announcement that GM Rick Hahn would meet with the media mere minutes after the trading deadline, it was a pretty secure sign that no last-second transactions would be burning their way across Twitter.
And that might not be what Hahn set out to do, but he's happy that's how it ended.
"We had a lot of conversations, obviously some we were more aggressive than others," he said. "In the end, we didn’t want to compromise anything. We’re confident in what this team is capable of doing over the next several months."
Hahn made clear that most of the deals considered were "with an eye more towards the long-term as well. Anything very seriously considered was a multiyear fit," while simply kicking the tires on any rental opportunities out there.
The most interesting question of the session regarded how important "character" was in trade talks. Given the swap of Mike Clevinger from Cleveland to San Diego on Monday, it seemed appropriate to know how the White Sox might be willing to bend its culture to acquire a game-changer.
Short answer: They aren't.
"Yesterday, Ricky [Renteria], Kenny [Williams], myself and seven veterans on this team sat down and had a candid conversation about where we are as a team, chemistry, clubhouse culture," Hahn said. "I came away impressed with the clubhouse environment. [Chemistry] matters to us in any acquisition, being able to fit into that environment."
While Hahn was clear to avoid talking about any one player in answering the question, the fact that he chose to answer in such a way says that he needed to get a temperature check of the room before pursuing deals for anyone who might disrupt chemistry he's spent several seasons orchestrating.
Hahn also offered updates on several players:
- He feels that Dane Dunning has "staked a claim in the rotation."
- Carlos Rodón, who had a "nice outing" over three innings in Schaumburg this weekend, could be seen as a "deadline acquisition" if he's able to make it back to Chicago.
- Aaron Bummer, on the IL in Schaumburg, has a nerve injury in his bicep that might prevent him from pitching again this year but will not affect his 2021 season.
- Yolmer Sánchez was brought up to the big club beginning on Monday, with Ryan Goins designated for assignment. The road trip taxi squad is Seby Zavala, Aaron McRae, Luis González and Bernardo Flores Jr.
- "Andrew Vaughn’s name comes up a lot, not just for trades but internally," and Hahn would not rule out seeing Vaughn in Chicago this season.
- Yoán Moncada continues to recover from his leg soreness and is day-to-day.
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Rick Hahn video courtesy of the Chicago White Sox.