Chicago White Sox: One player’s trade value continues to increase

The Chicago White Sox will be one of the teams selling at this year’s Trade Deadline, with a few players proving to have incredible value and could bring back a decent prospect or two. The White Sox need a good Trade Deadline, as they’re still in rebuild mode, but hope to be competitive in the next few seasons.

The White Sox have signaled that they are seeking more big-league-ready talent. They don’t necessarily need to acquire lower-level prospects, as their top young prospects are currently in the majors.

One player who could help the White Sox at the Trade Deadline is right-hander Adrian Houser, who is surprisingly having a strong start to the season.

Adrian Houser could be the Chicago White Sox’s best trade piece

The White Sox hoped Luis Robert Jr. would have had a better season than he has been having, so they could get a decent package for him. Sadly, that hasn’t happened, however, and the White Sox will have to rely on other players like Houser to get the best deal possible. Houser, who enters his ninth season as a big leaguer, was signed by the White Sox in late May after being released by the Texas Rangers.

Since signing with the White Sox, Houser has been their best starting pitcher. In eight starts (50.2 innings), Houser is pitching to a 4-2 record and a 1.60 ERA. Houser has also been a workhorse for the White Sox, with him only pitching under six innings once (6/13) in his eight starts.

Houser added to his trade value on Friday by giving the White Sox eight strong innings of shutout baseball against the Colorado Rockies. Quite a few teams need quality starting pitching, and with Houser showing start after start that this success doesn’t look like a fluke, he could net the White Sox a team’s top 10 prospect.

Houser’s success can be attributed to having a better fastball this season, as he went from having a fastball value ranked in the 26th percentile in 2024, and has seen it increase to being in the 95th percentile this season. Houser has also seen his barrel percentage increase this season, going from the 26th percentile last season to the 87th percentile this year.

The White Sox are in a strong position to do well at the deadline

The White Sox can do well at the Trade Deadline if they capitalize on Houser’s success. The Sox also have Aaron Civale, Andrew Benintendi, and others who could help get them a decent prospect at the deadline. Any team trying to acquire Houser will get a serviceable starter, who will add to any rotation he joins.

Houser is the White Sox’s best chance to get that big-league-ready prospect at the deadline. Houser will need to continue this dominance if they are to get one. With still a handful of starts left before the deadline, the price continues to increase with each passing start.