CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- The trade winds began blowing west from the South Side of Chicago on Wednesday evening.
With Major League Baseball’s trading deadline set for Tuesday, the White Sox began an organizational selloff by packaging pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynoldo Lopez to the Angels in exchange for two top prospects.
There is no sense for the White Sox to do anything but forge ahead with the selloff, this amid one of the most disappointing seasons to date in franchise history.
"It's part of the game," White Sox manager Pedro Griflo said after the trade was completed. "Hey, we just didn't do it. It’s really pretty simple. These are two really good pieces. These are two really good White Sox players headed to another organization to make a playoff push. That part of it is emotional, watching these guys go elsewhere and change uniforms."
Nobody is immune to the trade possibility on the 26-man White roster. Sure, Dyan Cease and Luis Robert seem untouchable, but is there a price that could be right for a deal?
White Sox starter Lance Lynn could be the next man on the move, a possibility he realizes could be looming in the coming days. Lynn has a no-trade clause to 10 different teams.
“You just have to be prepared for anything,” Lynn said. “This is a business, so you must go out and do your job.
“I will listen to the front office. If a team is interested in me, if it's a contending team, I will waive the clause."
The 36-year-old Lynn is playing for his fifth different team and has been traded twice in his career, including to the White Sox in December of 2020.
Lynn has struggled this season, posting a 6.47 ERA over 21 starts this season.
"All of this can lead to new beginnings here,” Lynn said. “We have underperformed. People are and will be going to new teams because of that. They just turn the page over and imagine what it will be like here in the future."
"I feel this year, I have been better in some ways and when I make a mistake, I am not getting away with it. I have to do a better job of making pitches when I need to. I just can't give up the big hit."
When the White Sox hosted the Cubs on Wednesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, there were more than 15 scouts in attendance – both to see Lynn and Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman. The Rangers had four scouts and the Yankees had two top evaluators on hand.
Lynn and Stroman each did not factor in the decision as the White Sox fell 10-7 to the Cubs.
“Both pitchers were off a bit," one longtime National League scout said. “GMs won't ask about the result. They will ask me, or another scout, if the pitcher is better than what we have in our rotation now. I can answer that question. I can't predict the future, but I can tell him if Lynn or Stroman are better right now than what we have."
The White Sox were a season-worst 21 games under the .500 mark following their loss Wednesday night to the Cubs. After finishing 81-81 last season, the White Sox entered Thursday at 41-62.
Listen live to 670 The Score via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker