White Sox linked to unthinkable trade that would change everything

The Chicago White Sox have run into a bit of a buzzsaw the last couple of nights, losing to the New York Yankees in a pair of blowout losses. However, they are still 38-34 on the season and are smack dab in the middle of playoff contention.

Because of how surprising the White Sox have been this year, they may ultimately end up crashing the MLB trade deadline.

Just about everyone anticipated that Chicago would be a midsummer seller, but things have changed. With the White Sox looking like favorites in the AL Central, they could ultimately try to bolster their roster for a postseason run, and they have the chips to do it.

Chicago’s farm system has become rather enviable over the last year, and it has impressive depth that it can use in significant trades.

With the White Sox in dire need of starting pitching, adding another rotation arm should be at the top of their priority list. ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel seem to believe that the South Siders will try to do just that, and they have identified a shocking potential target for them: Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan.

Chicago White Sox linked to blockbuster trade for Joe Ryan

Passan and McDaniel gave Ryan a 55 percent chance of being dealt, which should not come as much of a surprise with Ryan having just one year of club control remaining and the Twins certainly not resembling contenders.

But would Minnesota actually trade Ryan to a division rival?

Ryan has logged a 3.17 ERA this season, allowing 66 hits while racking up 92 strikeouts over 82.1 innings of work. He boasts a sparkling 0.996 WHIP, and his 5.75 K/BB ratio is genuinely elite. Not only that, but his 2.89 FIP indicates that he has actually gotten a bit unlucky in 2026.

The Twins could reap quite a haul for Ryan. They know this, which is why they will surely do everything in their power to send him out of the AL Central. They would probably even prefer to ship him out of the American League in general.

But if the White Sox were able to land Ryan, they would suddenly lay claim to a really impressive one-two punch of Ryan and Davis Martin at the top of their rotation with Sean Burke as a solid No. 3. It would absolutely increase their chances of a division title, and it would make them a relatively scary team in the playoffs.

It would truly be something if Chicago were able to pull this off, but it just doesn’t seem all that probable.

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