White Sox linked to trades with Reds or Mets to solve major need

White Sox linked to trades with Reds or Mets to solve major need originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Chicago White Sox have a real chance to make noise in the American League.

It’s been quite the glow up from their team in the basement in recent seasons, and it makes the upcoming MLB trade deadline a particularly compelling one in Chicago.

For the first time in a while, they’ll be buyers.

ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote about this in a new article on Wednesday, and he points out that the White Sox could use both catching and pitching help.

“Can you imagine a team going from 121 losses two seasons ago to the World Series? It’s not outside the realm of possibility, given the growing strength of the White Sox and the relative weakness of the AL,” Olney writes. “But the loss of talented catcher Kyle Teel to a significant ankle injury is devastating, and the White Sox could really use another catcher.”

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The White Sox still have a healthy Edgar Quero, so they don’t necessarily need to take a giant swing, but there are options out there behind the plate.

Olney names both catchers from the Cincinnati Reds as possibilities: Tyler Stephenson and Jose Trevino. 

He also writes that the New York Mets will “listen to overtures” about catchers Francisco Alvarez (pictured above) and Luis Torrens.

Olney doesn’t name any specific pitching targets for the White Sox but notes that they need to improve their No. 5 starter spot in the rotation.

There are seemingly a good chunk of pitchers available for trade right now, too, and so the White Sox can probably be busy if they want to be.

It’s certainly a much preferred place for them to be this time of year than they have been the past few seasons.

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