The White Sox could target Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer as a more affordable rotation upgrade at the trade deadline.
By now, Chicago White Sox fans have heard all of the rumors connecting the South Siders to the top starting pitchers on the market.
There is a crop of arms that have been discussed as no doubt trade candidates for weeks now. Among them are Los Angeles Angels lefty Reid Detmers, New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes, and Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman.
The list goes on, and each of these pitchers could make sense for the White Sox for different reasons. But as the deadline approaches and Chicago looks to add a starting pitcher, it's possible that the next White Sox trade acquisition will be someone who is not currently generating much buzz on the trade market.
The latest rumor ties the White Sox to Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer.
Yes, that's right. A starting pitcher for the World Series favorite Dodgers could be flipped at the trade deadline because the current situation in Los Angeles is more complicated than meets the eye.
Lauer was a midseason acquisition by the Dodgers, who acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for cash back in May. With Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow landing on the IL and Shohei Ohtani being shut down from pitching, an opportunity opened up in the starting rotation.
Behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, and Justin Wrobleski, Lauer has been a steadying force for the Dodgers' rotation. Every time he has taken the mound, Los Angeles has won. The Dodgers are 9-0 in Lauer's outings, and he has posted a 5-0 record with a 2.96 ERA since joining the team. That's a remarkable improvement from the 6.69 ERA he had with the Blue Jays earlier this season.
But as good as he has been, there are only so many spots in the starting rotation. Snell has begun a rehab assignment and will soon return for Los Angeles, while Glasnow has started throwing live batting practice. Pretty soon, there might not be room for Lauer in the Dodgers' rotation. That's without mentioning the possibility of Los Angeles trading for Tarik Skubal.
That's where the White Sox come in.
David Vassegh is a baseball insider in Los Angeles and the host of Dodger Talk on AM 570 LA Sports. He has developed an online reputation for being sharp when it comes to trade rumors and team speculation.
On Wednesday night, after Lauer pitched six scoreless innings and allowed just one hit against the Seattle Mariners, Vassegh discussed Lauer's future with the team and possible trade destinations as the Dodgers prepare to welcome back Snell, Glasnow, and others.
“If they don’t want to give up one of their top 15 prospects, the Dodgers would try to make a deal with the White Sox. Eric Lauer goes to Chicago, and the Dodgers find a minor league top 30, somewhere between 20 and 30,” Vassegh said in reference to the recent speculation that the White Sox have made the top prospects in their farm system unavailable in trade negotiations.
That's not a rumor that I buy. I think it's a standard negotiating tactic from Chris Getz, who ultimately will part with some of the good, but not great, prospects in the farm system to address his team's needs. Nonetheless, Vassegh has a point. If Chicago chooses to play it safe and pursue a cheaper option, Lauer could be there for the taking.
“I’m calling my shot. If the Dodgers trade Eric Lauer, I believe it’s going to be to the Chicago White Sox,” he concluded.
The real key for the White Sox in this deal would be continuing whatever the Dodgers have had working with Lauer over the last two months. He has looked like a different pitcher since landing in Los Angeles, and this version of Lauer could seriously help the White Sox. But Chicago would need the version of Lauer that has pitched for the Dodgers, not the one who struggled with the Blue Jays earlier this year, to make a deal worthwhile.
For obvious reasons, Lauer has kept his cards close to the vest when discussing the changes the Dodgers helped him make. However, if those changes can carry over easily to the White Sox, this might be a trade worth entertaining.
