Few gamers have discovered their names in additional commerce rumors this winter than Dylan Stop. It has been extensively anticipated the White Sox would transfer him. He’s right down to his remaining two years of arbitration management and first-year GM Chris Getz has expressed a willingness to reshape the roster.
On the similar time, Getz and his entrance workplace have set a excessive objective in commerce discussions. Experiences have instructed they’re in search of a return constructed round a number of prime prospects. Groups just like the Reds, Yankees, Dodgers and Braves had been concerned in Stop discussions however have pivoted to different free agent/commerce targets after balking at Chicago’s ask.
Stop stays with the Sox lower than a month from the opening of Spring Coaching. That has led to growing hypothesis that Chicago might maintain him into the season. One rival government solid doubt on a Stop commerce to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com yesterday, suggesting the White Sox aren’t displaying any curiosity in backing off their asking worth.
That’s a sentiment echoed by a number of different stories. ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted this morning {that a} pair of executives exterior the group consider Chicago will maintain Stop till the deadline. Robert Murray of FanSided writes that the Sox don’t seem near any deal, whereas Jon Heyman of the New York Publish suggests there’s a “rising perception” inside the trade that Stop stays in Chicago till the summer time.
None of that may be a assure Stop received’t transfer within the coming weeks. There’s nothing to counsel the White Sox plan to chop off commerce dialogue at the same time as they maintain agency to a lofty ask. Chicago believed they’d have elevated leverage in talks as soon as Yoshinobu Yamamoto got here off the board. Yamamoto’s signing didn’t spur a deal, nevertheless it’s doable they’re taking an identical stance as regards to Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.
The Orioles, Pink Sox and Mets have, to various levels, been linked to Stop this offseason. The Angels, Padres and Pirates haven’t been instantly tied to the righty however are typically recognized to be searching for beginning pitching. Baltimore has maybe been the topic of probably the most hypothesis, a mirrored image of their loaded minor league pipeline and the good thing about including a high-octane arm to final yr’s 101-win membership. Heyman stories that the O’s are reluctant to half with 24-year-old infielder Jordan Westburg, in whom the Sox are apparently displaying curiosity. The previous first-round decide hit .260/.311/.404 by means of his first 68 MLB video games and has six years of membership management.
Stop agreed to an $8MM wage for his second-to-last season of arbitration. He’s trying to rebound from a considerably disappointing 2023 marketing campaign by which he posted a 4.58 ERA over 177 innings. Stop nonetheless throws exceptionally onerous and punched out 27.3% of opposing hitters a yr in the past. If the Sox do maintain him into subsequent season, he has the upside to be probably the most in-demand starter on the deadline.
José Berríos, Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle have all returned a number of highly-regarded prospects in summer time offers with a yr and a half of management. But the Sox would additionally assume the danger of Stop struggling an harm or regression in the event that they maintain him for one more few months.
It’s the largest resolution for Getz in his first offseason main baseball operations. He pulled the set off on a deal sending reliever Aaron Bummer to the Braves for a five-player return firstly of the offseason. Getz and his workers have in any other case slow-played issues to this point, supplementing the roster on the margins with pretty low-cost free agent pickups (i.e. Erick Fedde, Martín Maldonado, Chris Flexen, Tim Hill, Paul DeJong).
