By Dominic DalDegan | December 6, 2022

This week, the winter meetings are taking place in San Diego. The winter meetings represent a pivotal time during the offseason. All thirty teams come together to discuss trade ideas while agents find the best fit for their free agent clients. 

Burdened by a reluctance to spend with the current payroll at about $171 million, it is difficult for the White Sox to sign a high impact free agent. Still, these meetings present an opportune time to shake up their messy roster and possibly shed some payroll. The White Sox have too much invested in the bullpen and need to reallocate their resources to areas of need. By making a trade, the White Sox may be able to do just that. After all, general manager Rick Hahn mentioned earlier this offseason that the trade market would be more fruitful for the Sox. So who is on the trading block?

That player may be Liam Hendriks. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the all-star closer may be on the move. Dominant for the last number of years, Hendriks has done a great job of retaining his value while fighting off age regression. Plus, in a market where closer Edwin Diaz just got inked to a $102 million dollar deal with the Mets, Hendriks’ attached two years for $29 million seems more affordable.

Let’s discuss trade ideas with teams that can use Hendriks. 

Yankees Receive RHP Liam Hendriks

White Sox Receive 2B Gleyber Torres

2023 Estimated Payroll after trade: $167 Million

The Yankees can use a reliable closer in Liam Hendriks after Clay Holmes wore down at the end of last season. Gleyber Torres would be a risky acquisition for the White Sox given his player profile and inconsistent career.

When Torres is right, he can be a very effective hitter. Last season, Torres slashed .257/.310/.451 with 24 bombs. Torres’ slashline was anchored by his ability to dominate the fastball, slugging .522 against the pitch. There is still room for more growth as well, as Torres generated a hard-hit baseball 9% more often than his banner year in 2019. It is impressive that Torres was able to put up this kind of year after the disappointing seasons that came before it. Torres also projects quite well at Guaranteed Rate Field. He would be approaching 30 home run power if he were to join the White Sox. 

However, the right-handed Torres can fall right into a lot of the same issues that current White Sox players face. Due to selling out on the fastball, Torres can look underwhelming versus breaking pitches and outright dreadful against offspeed pitches. Torres also does not take the free base often, walking in only 8.4 percent of his at-bats. 

After losing Jose Abreu, the White Sox should be interested in Torres. Due to the high ceiling he set in 2019, Torres is the kind of player that can fill the void that Abreu left from a pure production standpoint. 

Phillies Receive RHP Liam Hendriks

White Sox Receive 2B, SS Bryson Stott

2023 Estimated Payroll after trade: $158 Million

After Philadelphia signed Trea Turner to a $300 million dollar deal on Monday, former first round pick Bryson Stott will see a lot less playing time with the Phillies. Stott would give what the White Sox need with solid defense at second base to go along with speed. 

Only a rookie last season, the left-hander struggled at the plate but still showed some positive developments. Stott showed a willingness to hit to all fields, swinging for power pull-side and getting half of his hits the opposite way. Stott also sees breaking pitches quite well, slugging the curveball at a .667 clip. 

Stott struggled when it came to velocity, only hitting .167 against the fastball. It is normal for rookies to struggle with velocity, and they usually improve against fastballs the next season. The rookie has also shown the ability to come up in the clutch. On two different occasions, Stott hit go-ahead home runs late in the game to lend the Phillies the win. 

Acquiring Stott would give the White Sox a potential long-term solution at second base while shedding a lot of payroll for 2023. 

Dodgers Receive RHP Liam Hendriks 

White Sox Receive 1B, 2B, 3B Max Muncy

2023 Estimated Payroll after trade: $172 Million 

The Dodgers may be calling the White Sox again for another closer after Craig Kimbrel did not handle closer duties well last season. Despite a down year in 2022, Muncy still showed flashes of what has made him a successful major leaguer.

Muncy exhibited excellent plate discipline as he was in the top 1% of all players in chase rate, walking at an elite 15.9% clip. Muncy still made solid contact often, posting a hard hit rate of 45.6%. This was only one point lower than 2021 when he finished tenth in MVP voting.  The left-hander will be able to get on base more often with the shift out of the picture in 2023.

One problem last year is that Muncy’s launch angle sky-rocketed to 20.9 degrees from 15.2 degrees the year before. Perhaps Muncy was looking to put the ball in the air a little too often. Muncy can also be too selective at the plate. Similar to Moncada, he is prone to striking out looking and often whiffs late at fastballs in the zone. Still, the White Sox can use more power and plate discipline. The former all-star would fit right in at second base and is poised for a comeback. 

Alternatively, the White Sox can trade for second baseman Gavin Lux who is a solid player despite performing below expectations. The left-handed former top prospect is more affordable, so the Sox would gain a lot of spending power for this impressive free agent class. 

Astros Receive RHP Liam Hendriks 

White Sox Receive CF Chas McCormick, RHP Jayden Murray (Astros #12 Prospect)

2023 Estimated Payroll after trade: $158 Million

After winning the World Series the Houston Astros were clearly not satisfied, signing White Sox great Jose Abreu to a deal worth $60 million. They can still get even better by acquiring a dominant, name-brand closer.

For the White Sox, McCormick would slot in perfectly at left field and play excellent defense. McCormick finished in the 93rd percentile among all players in outs above average, possessing one of the best outfielder jumps in the game. McCormick also grades out well offensively as he is proficient at drawing walks and is very quick on the basepaths. The White Sox will need to sign multiple outfielders this offseason, so McCormick would be a welcome addition if they sign an outfielder that is more high-profile to go along with him. 

Jayden Murray is a great looking pitcher in the Houston Astros minor league system. Murray utilizes a solid late-moving fastball and a slow, sweeping slider anchored by a deceptive delivery and stellar command. Murray made it to Triple-A last season and is not too far from the majors. 

Overall, these trade possibilities would deeply help out the team’s organizational depth while adding more money to spend on free agents.