How the White Sox Compare to Their Playoff Competition After the Deadline

The White Sox had an active trade deadline, but was it enough to keep pace with the other division contenders?

Chicago White Sox pitcher Luis Castillo | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago White Sox had an active trade deadline, acquiring starter Luis Castillo, catcher Joey Bart, outfielder Brenton Doyle, and reliever Huascar Brazobán. Despite this, the White Sox have been unable to separate from the rest of the AL Central in large part due to a Boston Red Sox sweep.

Bart's broken hand suffered on Thursday night did not help the outlook for the rest of the season either, as the White Sox are back to square one at catcher with Edgar Quero and Drew Romo. Castillo had a rough first start in Boston, and Brazobán and Doyle had an up-and-down series, as well.

The White Sox are still three games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins, but both teams added at the deadline. In an open American League Central, it's very possible that the White Sox could lose footing.

So, what did the rest of the division do to compete with Chicago?

Cleveland Guardians Trade Deadline

Aug 4, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Jo Adell (7) jogs to first base after walking in the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This upcoming series with Cleveland could make or break the White Sox's division crown hopes. A series win or sweep could very well set the Guardians back significantly. But what did they add at the deadline?

The Guardians acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, outfielder Jo Adell, and reliever Craig Yoho. But perhaps their biggest addition, which could affect the division race, was starter Foster Griffin. With the Washington Nationals, Griffin made the All-Star Game in his age-31 rookie season. In 22 starts, he had a 3.06 ERA. However, in his first start with Cleveland, he gave up five runs in four innings.

Griffin is the X-factor of this deadline for Cleveland. If he can show his ace potential with Cleveland, their rotation will be even more dangerous.

Minnesota Twins Trade Deadline

Jul 31, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) looks on against the St. Louis Cardinals during the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Twins made a relatively shocking decision to buy at the trade deadline since they have kept pace with the Guardians in a weak American League Wild Card race. However, it was a slow deadline for Minnesota. They acquired relievers AJ Minter and Jeff Hoffman, as well as starter Dean Kremer.

Minter was having a terrific year with the New York Mets before the deadline, with a 2.35 ERA in 23 games. So far in 2.1 innings with Minnesota, he has given up one run. Kremer, on the other hand, had a 6.50 ERA in seven starts with the Baltimore Orioles. In one start with the Twins, he gave up one run in five innings. Hoffman may be the key piece for Minnesota. The 2024 All-Star had a 3.94 ERA in 51 games with the Toronto Blue Jays and has closing experience.

Do The White Sox Stack Up Well Still?

The short answer is yes, the White Sox still have the firepower on offense and solid enough pitching to win the division. While getting swept in a frustrating three-game series by the red-hot Red Sox didn't necessarily prove that, the Guardians and Twins didn't make a blockbuster trade that would put them severely ahead of the White Sox.

While the White Sox didn't have any flashy moves either, they added in areas of need and still stack up well against the Guardians and Twins on paper. We'll see this weekend if this is still the case!