Will the White Sox Call Up Top Prospects Instead of Making a Big Bullpen Trade?
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The Chicago White Sox are gearing up to be one of the biggest buyers at the MLB trade deadline – just like everyone thought!
Widely expected to be another rebuilding year for the franchise, the White Sox have taken a massive leap forward behind their influx of young talent. The team is fresh off completing its second walk-off win in a row over the New York Yankees, improving to 57-51 on the season.
Regardless, the race for the AL Central crown remains tight. The Cleveland Guardians are only 2.0 games back of the spot, while the Minnesota Twins are a mere 3.0 games back. Chicago was crossing its fingers that at least the latter squad would take its hat out of the ring and become sellers. They confirmed this week that it will not be the case.
This is why the White Sox have been connected to some of the biggest names on the trade market. If they want to avoid a second-half slide – which is certainly possible with such a young and inexperienced group – adding some proven production is a necessity. Most rumors have suggested that the White Sox will do this in their starting rotation and bullpen. Both departments have been inconsistent at best this year.
With that said, it sure sounds like the White Sox are most concerned about adding a capable arm to the starting rotation. Rookie Noah Schultz has underwhelmed this year, while Erick Fedde could be a bigger help in the bullpen. Not to mention, a recent report from The Athletic stated the White Sox could turn towards their farm system for relief pitching answers down the stretch.
White Sox to Call Up Several Pitching Prospects?
Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon, and Katie Woo of The Athletic reiterated in their recent intel piece that the White Sox are very much looking to improve their pitching situation. However, there seems to be an internal belief that several pitching prospects could bolster their bullpen down the stretch. The specific names mentioned who could be due for a call-up soon were Hagen Smith, Tanner McDougal, and Mason Adams.
MLB Pipeline has both Smith (No. 2) and Dougal (No. 4) ranked in the organization's Top 4. As for Adams, he sits only a few spots lower (No. 8). All three are currently pitching in Charlotte and have flashed plenty of promise. Smith looked strong enough as a starter that there were even rumors that he could make his debut roughly a month ago. However, an injury put things on hold.
All things considered, it is a tad surprising to hear that the White Sox would be comfortable going this route at such a pivotal point in the season. The playoffs have clearly become the goal, which could make leaning on several inexperienced bodies out of the bullpen a pretty big risk. After all, we have seen how up-and-down Schultz has been over his stint as a starter this season.
At the same time, youth is what got the Sox to this point. They have trusted their farm system and developmental process, and it's helped pump new life into the franchise. Plus, all three of these prospects were previously expected to make their debut at some point during the 2026 season. If the Sox believe they are ready, they shouldn't necessarily change those plans simply because of the win-loss column.
The last thing you want to do is give up assets for bullpen rentals if you think a possible solution is already in-house. Is it possible that none of these three proves serviceable down the stretch? Sure, but it feels like likely that at least one can establish themselves as a meaningful addition.
Regardless, The Athletic noted that elevating a prospect doesn't mean the Sox will not continue to seek out bullpen upgrades. They could choose to go down both roads and really maximize the opportunity. However, there is no doubt that having several high-quality pitching prospects in Triple-A could change how they tackle the next couple of days, especially if prices really start to get of whack.
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Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.
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