The White Sox are expected to target pitching before the deadline, but Giants ace Logan Webb may be the rare marquee acquisition worth a significant prospect package.
The Chicago White Sox are one of many teams that will likely be exploring the pitching market at the 2026 trade deadline.
Entering play on June 17, the White Sox sit atop the AL Central standings, largely due to the club's offense, which has been one of the best in baseball all season. But serious questions remain about the starting rotation, particularly whether the White Sox have enough arms to not only reach the postseason, but make some noise once they get there.
The most common belief is that the White Sox will target a lower-tier starting pitcher, someone they can add to the back end of the rotation to eat innings. It would surprise many people if the White Sox tried to make a major splash. While they are expected to be buyers, it's hard to envision Chris Getz and the White Sox mortgaging too much of the future for a marquee name at the deadline.
For the most part, I agree with that line of thinking. But there are exceptions to every rule. And if there's one splashy trade deadline acquisition I think the White Sox need to seriously consider, it's San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb.
The Giants Will Be Deadline Sellers
With a 29-43 record, the Giants have the third-worst record in Major League Baseball this season. They're already sitting 9.0 games back in the NL Wild Card race and are one of the most obvious sellers on the market.
According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, San Francisco "hasn't fully committed to selling," but they're getting closer to that determination. While there are reportedly no plans to trade Webb, a fire sale is a fire sale, and San Francisco would be foolish not to at least listen to offers.
The messaging is always going to be, "We have no plans to trade him," when you're talking about a team trying to maximize its leverage. There will undoubtedly be plenty of interest.
So why is Webb the right "big splash" move for the White Sox to make?
Why Logan Webb Fits the White Sox
Webb missed three weeks on the injured list earlier this season. That was his first trip to the IL since 2021. From 2022 through 2025, Webb made every start and averaged 205 innings pitched per season while posting a 3.22 ERA.
Webb remains under contract through the 2028 season. He'll make $23 million in 2027 and $24 million in 2028, a bargain relative to his production. He's one of baseball's best ground-ball pitchers and doesn't walk many opposing hitters. Webb has led the National League in innings pitched in three consecutive seasons. He also led the National League in strikeouts in 2025 with 224. In both 2023 and 2025, Webb led all of Major League Baseball in innings pitched.
He's simply everything the White Sox need, both now and moving forward as they enter their contention window.
When it comes to pitchers who can consistently work deep into games, it doesn't get much better than Logan Webb. And you're talking about 2.5 years of control for a Gold Glove winner who's durable, throws strikes, and induces a ton of ground balls, which should play exceptionally well at Rate Field with a vastly improved White Sox infield defense behind him.
Obviously, it won't come cheap. But for a player with Webb's track record and team control who is still only 29 years old, I don't think it would be unreasonable for the White Sox to dip into their more promising pool of prospects.
Shortstop Billy Carlson is the No. 50 prospect in all of baseball, and while he's currently the No. 5 prospect in the White Sox farm system, he would immediately become the No. 2 prospect in San Francisco's organization. Start your package there.
With a crowded MLB infield, a player like Caleb Bonemer just reaching Double-A, and another talented infield prospect likely arriving with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the White Sox are in a unique position to trade from their prospect depth. Carlson would give the Giants a tremendously talented and athletic 19-year-old shortstop with an exceptionally high floor because of his glove. I'm not sure exactly what it would take beyond that, but as long as the White Sox preserve names like Bonemer, Braden Montgomery, and other players expected to contribute to the 2026 MLB roster, I'm not sure there's a prospect package I'd feel uncomfortable with Chicago parting with in a deal for Webb.
You don't sell the farm for Tarik Skubal, a rental who would run for the hills in free agency this winter. But the more we watch the White Sox play like one of the best teams in baseball, the harder it becomes to ignore the opportunity in front of them.
A back-end rotation piece might help eat innings and get the team over the hump in August and September. But a pitcher like Logan Webb could help the White Sox make real noise in the playoffs while also checking a major box on their offseason to-do list months ahead of schedule.
