The Chicago White Sox traded their designated hitter, shortstop and a member of the bullpen on Tuesday.
But they held on to two of the most discussed players leading up to the trade deadline in starter Garrett Crochet and center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
“We were having discussions with clubs up until the last hour,” general manager Chris Getz said of Crochet after Tuesday’s trade deadline. “Nothing came together. We didn’t feel it was the right move to move Garrett, although there was that strong interest.
“I know that there is attention on players that remain with the Chicago White Sox. But overall, we feel really good (about) the direction (of) the organization based on the trade deadline.”
The Sox sent DH Eloy Jiménez to the Baltimore Orioles, shortstop Paul DeJong to the Kansas City Royals and lefty reliever Tanner Banks to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Jiménez hasn’t showcased the power he’s accustomed to displaying this season.
But the designated hitter will get the chance to revive his output in a stretch run with the Orioles.
Jiménez is slashing .240/.297/.345 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 65 games. He has been sidelined on a couple of occasions in 2024 because of injury, missing time from April 1-15 with a left adductor strain and May 22 to June 23 with a left hamstring strain.
Injuries have often been an issue for Jiménez. He was on the injured list eight times with the Sox since April 2019.
Jiménez has a .270/.321/.469 slash line with 94 home runs and 291 RBIs in 501 career games with the Sox.
“I got a phone call from the Orioles this morning with interest with Eloy, and I could tell that there was sincere interest, and we felt like it was a good fit for Eloy, give him an opportunity to go out there and get a chance at making the playoffs and making a run there, so it just lined up well, it felt like it was the right fit for him,” Getz said.
“I know the injuries have affected him, and it hasn’t allowed him to go out there and be the player that perhaps many people thought that he could become, but he’s still young, and he’s going to get a chance with the Baltimore Orioles and he’s going to get a chance to play at a high level. But he accomplished a lot in a White Sox uniform and I think there’s a lot to be proud of.”
Jiménez went to the Orioles, along with cash considerations, for left-handed pitcher Trey McGough. The 26-year-old is 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, .174 opponents average, two saves and 55 strikeouts in 28 relief appearances with Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk this season.
He will be assigned to Triple-A Charlotte.
In DeJong, the Royals receive someone who already has more home runs this season than he did in all of 2023.
The Sox will receive minor-league right-hander Jarold Rosado in return. The 22-year-old had a 1.85 ERA and four saves with 45 strikeouts in 39 innings at Class A Columbia.
DeJong, 30, signed with the Sox in the offseason after hitting a combined 14 home runs in 112 games for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants last year.
He was leading the Sox with 18 home runs in 102 games this season.
“I could have gone across the country, but instead I go across the field,” said DeJong. The Sox hosted the Royals in the middle game of a three-game series Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. ” It’s a day I’ll always remember and just excited to start my career here with the Royals.”
The Sox also traded a bullpen staple in Banks.
The left-handed Banks is 2-2 with a 4.13 ERA, two saves and 55 strikeouts in 41 games (one start). The games, saves and strikeout totals are both career highs.
The 32-year-old has a career 3.89 ERA, three saves and 155 strikeouts during 108 games (four starts) in three seasons with the Sox.
The Sox received minor-league infielder William Bergolla from the Phillies. The 19-year-old is slashing .295/.350/.385 with 12 doubles, three triples, one home run, 29 RBIs, 36 runs and 18 stolen bases in 67 games with Class A Jersey Shore. His .295 average is fourth in the South Atlantic League.
“It was a bittersweet moment to say goodbye to (Banks),” Getz said. “We felt like we found a player that’s going to help us on the offensive side to line up with what our goal was going into this. So that led to the decision.”
Bergolla is ranked the No. 11 prospect in the Phillies organization by MLB.com.
Between Monday (Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to the St. Louis Cardinals, and Michael Kopech to the Los Angeles Dodgers) and Tuesday, the Sox dealt six players.
As for Robert, Getz said, “we got a lot of phone calls, a lot of interest.”
“Teams were certainly open and willing to inquire, it just didn’t make any sense for us to move Luis,” Getz said. “If you look at what he’s capable of doing, just the talent that he has, the amount of control that we have from a contract standpoint, look forward to watching him play in a White Sox uniform.”
One of the additions, Miguel Vargas from the Dodgers, was in Tuesday’s lineup as the designated hitter. The Sox also acquired two minor-league infielders Alexander Albertus and Jeral Perez with Monday’s three-team trade, and another minor-league infielder Tuesday in Bergolla.
“The goal going into this window at the deadline was to acquire offensive players, to acquire bats and to bring in four quality bats with the resources that we had, it’s something I’m very proud of,” Getz said. “We feel very good about the players we acquired.”
