Handedness should be a major consideration as the White Sox search for another reliable starter at the trade deadline.
The Chicago White Sox are sure to be in the market for a starting pitcher at the upcoming MLB trade deadline. The only real question remaining is how big the White Sox will go.
Do they play at the top of the market or take the safer, cheaper route? Do they look for a starting pitcher with club control who can be part of the organization's future? Or do they settle for rentals while holding on to the top prospects in the system?
There are merits to each approach, and this very debate has been the primary discourse among White Sox fans as of late. But as we approach the trade deadline and the White Sox look to address their need, I don't think Chris Getz and Chicago's front office can afford to overlook handedness when making a deal.
Right now, the White Sox have two starting pitchers on their roster who figure to be part of a playoff rotation should Chicago make it there. Davis Martin is having the best season of his career, with a 9-5 record and a 3.31 ERA through 19 starts. He nearly made the AL All-Star team. And yet, Sean Burke has recently overtaken Martin as Chicago's go-to arm.
Burke is 7-4 with a 3.20 ERA in 112.1 innings this season. Over his last six starts, Burke has a 1.40 ERA, with 47 strikeouts in 38.2 innings pitched.
You'd feel comfortable giving the ball to Martin or Burke in a playoff game. But beyond that, things are unsettled. Anthony Kay is Chicago's next-best starting option, with a 4.21 ERA this season. But Kay still has a 5.31 expected ERA. He flirts with disaster a bit too often, and whether he's part of Chicago's playoff rotation likely depends on whether the White Sox add one or two starting pitchers at the trade deadline, as well as how well he pitches down the stretch.
Both Burke and Martin are right-handed. It may behoove the White Sox to have a trustworthy left-handed starter, depending on who they match up against in the postseason. There are a number of playoff teams the White Sox could face in a postseason series that struggle to hit left-handed pitching.
Among them are the Tampa Bay Rays, who have a .697 OPS against lefties and a .751 OPS against righties. The Seattle Mariners have a .635 OPS against lefties and a .706 OPS against righties. That's led the Mariners to hunt for a right-handed bat at the trade deadline.
The Cleveland Guardians are another one, and maybe the most important of them all. The Guardians have a .658 OPS as a team with a left-handed pitcher on the mound and a .700 OPS against right-handers. Not only are the Guardians a potential postseason matchup for the White Sox, but they're also the team Chicago will have to beat head-to-head down the stretch of the 2026 season to win the AL Central. Adding a left-handed starting pitcher would help them do that.
You'd hate to enter a postseason series with your three most reliable starting pitchers all being right-handed, especially if you face a team similar to the White Sox that hits right-handed pitching very well. By adding at least one left-hander, you give Will Venable as many options as possible to put his team in a position to succeed. That should be the goal of this front office at the trade deadline.
It's a factor that can't be overlooked when trading for a starting pitcher.
