Late Monday night/Tuesday morning, the Chicago White Sox were busy making a trade for a Cy Young caliber pitcher. Lance Lynn is headed to the White Sox in exchange for Dane Dunning and lesser known Avery Weems. Dunning and Weems have significant amounts of control that the Rangers are getting in return, while Lynn only has one year left on his current deal.
Right-hander Lance Lynn has been traded to the Chicago White Sox, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 8, 2020
Dunning finally made his White Sox debut last season and finished the season having started 7 games (getting the W in two of those) and finishing with a 3.97 ERA, 35 strikeouts and 13 walks. He was solid and doing pretty well for his first season in the bigs. He even started the 3rd playoff game for the Sox (even though he got pulled after like one out).
Weems had just been drafted in 2019 out of Arizona. He’s got a hell of a long time to go until he’s ready for any type of of big league contribution.
On to Lynn….
Dunning was a solid pitcher to give up for a guy who was on a one year rental, but Lynn is a hell of a rental (if the Sox can’t work out some sort of future deal). He’s finished in the Top 6 in AL Cy Young voting the past two years. Last season he finished the year at 6-3, a 3.32 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts. Not bad… The addition also gives the White Sox a stacked starting pitching lineup when you throw him in with Keuchel and Giolito. Last year the trio finished at 5th (Keuchel), 6th (Lynn), and 7th (Giolito) in AL Cy Young Voting.
So while losing Dunning may be a tough pill to swallow, the Sox are getting a hell of a pitcher in return. It shows that the Sox are in win now mode and going after it.
In other news today, the White Sox agreed to bring back a familiar face.
White Sox in agreement with free agent outfielder Adam Eaton, source tells @NBCSChicago. It's a 1-year, $7 million deal with a second year team option for $8.5 million.
— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) December 8, 2020
Kind of ironic with the timing of the Dunning news. You remember that Adam Eaton was part of the deal that brought Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito, and…. Dane Dunning to Chicago from Washington. Gio is a Cy Young candidate, Dunning got flipped for another Cy Young candidate, and Lopez… well the Sox got two really good pitchers in the end. It’s looking like he might be the new every day right fielder for the Sox.
Two big holes addressed early on for the White Sox. It’ll be interesting to see what other moves are made here this week. Stay tuned!