Re-Grading the White Sox' Trade Deadline Moves After Clinching Playoffs
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As the playoffs loom, the main question that will be asked of the Chicago White Sox is simple: Did Chris Getz do enough at the trade deadline?
Getz acquired outfielder Brenton Doyle, catcher Joey Bart, reliever Huascar Brazobán and starter Luis Castillo for the White Sox. All things considered, it was a far more aggressive deadline than anyone would have expected at the start of the season. However, whether it really made a difference has become a very fair question.
Let's take a look back at each individual deal and dish out some new grades!
White Sox Acquire: RHP Luis Castillo
Seattle Mariners Acquire: C/OF Boston Smith, RHP Seranthony Dominguez, OF Nolan Jones
Instant Grade: C
I wasn't bullish about the Luis Castillo trade from the very start, but I don't think anybody could've seen it going this poorly. Castillo was acquired to shore up Chicago's rotation and was supposed to bring a veteran body and playoff experience to the roster. However, it didn't shake out that way.
Castillo was the only starter Getz brought in to a team that desperately needed arms. He already had a 5.06 ERA before being traded from Seattle, but it got a lot worse once he came to Chicago. In nine games (six starts), Castillo had an unsightly 8.42 ERA before he was placed on the injured list before the conclusion of the regular season. The White Sox took on a large portion of his contract, which lasts through the 2027 season.
Meanwhile, Boston Smith, the main piece of the return and a top-15 prospect in Chicago's system, has continued his incredible first professional season. He has a .238/.363/.516 slash line and nine home runs in 33 games with Seattle's Double-A affiliate. Seranthony Dominguez, who was nothing short of unusable with Chicago, has a 3.18 ERA in 23 games with the Mariners and has allowed just one run in his last 15 appearances.
Overall, this could go down as one of the worst trades in franchise history, given the context of how badly the White Sox needed and still need starting pitching.
Re-Grade: F
White Sox Acquire: Huascar Brazobán
New York Mets Acquire: P Gabe Davis (No. 18), P Zach Franklin
Instant Grade: A
Huascar Brazobán was brought in to shore up the back end of the White Sox bullpen. He was elite for the Mets before the trade, with a 2.56 ERA in 46 games (six starts).
His advanced stats were among the best in the league, and despite his advanced age (36), it seemed like the White Sox got an absolute steal. It hasn't looked that way so far. In 13 games with Chicago, Brazobán has a 4.85 ERA and was relegated to the taxi squad for a little bit after an injury. While the White Sox didn't give up much of anything for Brazobán and he's under team control through the 2029 season, it hasn't been the move we thought it would be.
Re-Grade: B-
White Sox Acquire: C Joey Bart
Atlanta Braves Acquire: RHP Duncan Davitt
Instant Grade: C+
With Kyle Teel's injury and Edgar Quero's inconsistency, the White Sox were in desperate need of a catcher. While it wasn't the flashy move fans were expecting at the position, Bart brought a defensive presence with a solid bat.
However, his tenure ended before it really got started. Bart played just three games with Chicago, going 0-for-6 with a walk and four strikeouts before a fractured hand ended his regular season. While the White Sox didn't give up much in this trade and you can't control that type of injury, it's still a disappointing move.
Re-Grade: C-
White Sox Acquire: OF Brenton Doyle
Colorado Rockies Acquire: RHP Mason Adams, INF Carlos Vielma
Instant Grade: C
When the White Sox traded a rising top-10 prospect in their system for someone who was not guaranteed a starting role on the team, it was a bit of a head-scratcher. However, this might've been Chicago's best acquisition of the deadline.
Doyle has provided a solid bat against left-handers with elite defense, as expected. In 39 games, Doyle has slashed .253/.253/.402 with three home runs. In his last 15 games, he has stepped it up with a .314/.314/.486 slash line.
Tristan Peters has emerged as the primary center fielder. If you predicted that at the beginning of the season, buy a lottery ticket! However, Doyle has filled his role quite well. Meanwhile, Adams, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery, has an impressive 4.03 ERA in six starts for the MLB-worst Rockies. Pitching in Coors is one of the toughest things to do in the sport, so props to him for doing as well as he has.
Re-Grade: B
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Matthew Singer is a contributor for White Sox on SI. Before joining SI in 2026, he worked for Heavy as an MLB contributor and Cubs on SI. Singer has a master's degree in sports journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He loves sports more than anything in the world.