After a crowded infield and limited offensive profile made him expendable, the Chicago White Sox finally move Lenyn Sosa in exchange for a low-level prospect and future flexibility.
All offseason, it felt inevitable that the Chicago White Sox were going to trade infielder Lenyn Sosa.
It only makes sense when dealing with a a player coming off a career year who simply didn’t fit the team’s current roster construction.
Sosa led the White Sox in hits (137), home runs (22), and RBIs (75) in 2025. And while 22 home runs and 75 RBIs would typically be very impressive for a second baseman, his overall profile still felt underwhelming by season’s end.
Sosa's defense at second base was subpar to the point that the White Sox experimented with him at other spots on the infield. They tried him at first base and occasionally used him as a designated hitter. But looking ahead to 2026, with Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery, and Chase Meidroth occupying infield roles—and Munetaka Murakami locked in at first base—there wasn’t a clear path for Sosa to get regular at-bats outside of a DH role.
Hs .293 on-base percentage and .727 OPS simply aren’t strong enough for a DH-only profile. Even in his career-best season, Sosa was worth just 1.4 fWAR.
Still, the White Sox chose not to move him during the offseason and kept him on the roster to begin the year. In 12 games this season, Sosa is hitting .212 with a .515 OPS and no home runs. It’s validating many of the concerns that were raised about him over the winter. His plate discipline ranks among the worst in baseball, and he doesn’t generate enough bat speed to consistently tap into natural power.
Now, at long last, the White Sox have traded Sosa, sending him to the injury-riddled Toronto Blue Jays on Monday afternoon in exchange for 18-year-old outfielder Jordan Rich and a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Rich was a 17th-round pick by the Blue Jays in the 2025 MLB Draft. He was ranked around 500th in his high school class and has yet to appear in a professional regular-season game. His standout tool is his speed.
Ultimately, this deal is the White Sox taking a flyer on raw tools while clearing a roster spot that likely would have opened up anyway. With reports that the team has interest in calling up Sam Antonacci for his MLB debut, an infielder like Sosa was likely on the way out regardless.
The writing was on the wall. And given all the reasons the White Sox had squeezed Sosa out of their long-term plans, it never felt like another team was going to give up much to acquire him.