White Sox Should Get On The Phone With The Red Sox Immediately

The White Sox have kept busy this off-season by continuing to spend the money that was saved from trading Luis Robert Jr. This time, the White Sox have reportedly agreed to terms with former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays.

This is a fantastic move, as it makes the White Sox outfield significantly better. However, this likely marks the end of any major league additions in the lineup. The White Sox will have a much more respectable lineup next season, and they will likely win 70+ games. But, if they truly want to take another step, they could really use another starting pitcher.

With $16 million or so of the Robert Jr. money spent, this would only leave around four million for a starting pitching addition. While they might not be able to get a starting pitcher for that price, they should go past that $20 million threshold, as it could be a great use of that saved money.

Another avenue the White Sox could consider to acquire a pitcher is through the trade market. The Red Sox could be a perfect match, as Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic is reporting that Boston has been discussing starting pitcher Brayan Bello and Patrick Sandoval in trade talks.

The Red Sox continue to receive calls on their pitching depth as they seek an infielder, a source noted, with Brayan Bello, Patrick Sandoval and Jordan Hicks among the names discussed.

That plus more notes herehttps://t.co/TYKglZbsHg

— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) January 30, 2026

The White Sox should absolutely make a call and see what it would take for Bello, as he is a good, cost-controlled 26-year-old starting pitcher. Sandoval is 29 and coming off an injury that sidelined him for the 2025 season, but has had some significant major league success in his career.

Luckily for the White Sox, according to McCaffrey, the Red Sox are looking for an infielder. As it currently stands, the White Sox have a surplus of young infielders, some that Boston could be interested in.

While Bello’s trade value is likely much higher than Sandoval’s, there could be a trade that could mutually benefit both sides. The White Sox could offer someone like Lenyn Sosa, because as of right now, he does not have a set starting position for the White Sox.

Sosa would likely not be enough for the Red Sox to trade Bello, but the White Sox could throw some sweeteners in there to get it done. The question is how much it would ultimately take to get a deal done, as Bello is coming off a 3.35 ERA, 28 start season. This could be a huge addition to the White Sox rotation.

However, with Sandoval missing the 2025 season, I could see a scenario where it could be Sosa for Sandoval straight up. While Sosa isn’t a gold glover, he can certainly hit and play in the infield for Boston. Sandoval, on the other hand, could be a nice rebound candidate with the White Sox and get a ton of innings.

Patrick Sandoval in the 2023 World Baseball Classic vs USA & Japan:

7.1 IP, 1 ER, 8 K pic.twitter.com/E5VR3OR7jm

— Robbie Hyde (@gingersnaphyde) December 20, 2024

Sandoval has a 4.01 career ERA and had a dominant 2022 season. That year he had a 2.91 ERA over 148 innings. If he could produce somewhere near that for the White Sox, that could be huge.

On the other hand, the White Sox may not be inclined to trade Sosa, who has a few years of cheap control left, for a starting pitcher that will be a free agent next year, as Sandoval is only under contract for this season.

While the needs of each team could fit for a trade, they may have to get creative to work something out. However, if the Red Sox are willing to trade a guy like Bello, the Sox should be all over that, as he certainly fits the timeline of contention for the White Sox.