The Chicago White Sox received a significant haul in a night-time trade with the Braves
The White Sox are sending Aaron Bummer to the Atlanta Braves. The White Sox get 5 players in return.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the news on Twitter on Thursday night.
Trade news:
Braves receive: left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer, under club control through 2026.
White Sox receive: right-handed starter Mike Soroka, left-handed starter Jared Shuster, shortstop Braden Shewmake, infielder Nicky Lopez and right-handed starter Riley Gowens.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 17, 2023
Breakdown of the deal
Aaron Bummer will be a good addition to Atlanta’s bullpen. Atlanta gets a player who will be on the books for $5.5 million this season. Bummer also has club options in both 2025 and 2026.
Bummer has appeared in 289 career games for the Sox with an ERA of 3.89. According to Baseball Training World, starting pitchers in the major league have an average ERA of 4.22.
Last year, he went 5-5 with a 6.79 ERA in 61 appearances for the White Sox, though he struck out 78 in 58 1/3 innings. Injuries in the past few years have hindered Bummer, limiting his impact with the Sox. Although there are injury concerns with him, his upside was still enough for Atlanta to send a big package to get him.
The White Sox get three former first round picks by the Braves in return. Soroka, Shuster and Shewmake are all 26-years-old or younger.
Mike Soroka was once one of the most promising young pitchers in baseball. He finished second in the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year race to Pete Alonso. Then he suffered a spate of injuries, including an Achilles tear in 2020 and a complete re-tear in 2021.
Apart from two MLB games, Shewmake played most of the 2023 season in Gwinnett, hitting 16 homers with a .705 OPS.
Shuster spent time in both Triple-A and the majors last season, starting 11 games for Atlanta with a 4-3 record. He ended the season with a 5.81 ERA.
The three players discussed above were all first round picks for a reason. Let’s hope that first round talent follows them to the South Side.
Nicky Lopez is the oldest of the bunch arriving at 28-years-old. Lopez provides some much needed versatility to the White Sox dugout. Lopez is also from Naperville, so he’s coming home.
Last but not least is Riley Gowens who was still in the Braves minor league system. Gowens is a right-handed starter with some great potential. He could emerge into a staple for the Sox if his development continues in the right direction.
Immediate reaction
The White Sox absolutely won this trade hands down. Receiving 5 young players by trading away Bummer is a major win. The only way this trade ends up looking bad for the Sox is if Bummer averages a ERA less than 2 and helps Atlanta win another world series.
The White Sox have wasted no time getting active in this post-season. After a rough year on the diamond this is good news for the Sox. Rumors of a relocation in the near future and losing Tim Anderson hurt. But this trade early in this offseason is a good sign that maybe things will start to turn around.
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