An unexpected playoff push may force the White Sox to prioritize winning over the development of one of its top young pitchers.
As we approach the trade deadline and the Chicago White Sox look to upgrade their starting rotation, the front office will have to determine how big it wants to go and how many pitchers can be unseated from their current rotation spots.
Over the last month, White Sox arms like Anthony Kay, Erick Fedde, and Noah Schultz have been pitching for the right to remain in the rotation once additions are made. But as we close in on the deadline, it is becoming more apparent what Chicago needs to do.
Noah Schultz is starting to look like the odd man out for the rest of 2026. But removing Schultz from the MLB rotation would also contradict the original development plan the White Sox envisioned for him.
It provides for a difficult decision, but it is also a reflection of how circumstances and expectations can change as a season progresses.
Schultz was healthy and dominant to begin the season with Triple-A Charlotte. He had very little left to prove, so the White Sox promoted him to make his MLB debut on April 14. The 22-year-old showed early flashes of greatness, and he clearly looked the part of an MLB starting pitcher.
As he settled in, Schultz began dealing with control issues, and competitive outings for the White Sox became more of a rarity. On Tuesday night in Texas, Schultz allowed 11 hits and five earned runs over 3.2 innings.
That raised his season ERA to 6.04, a mark that is difficult to justify for a team currently sitting in a playoff position.
That right there is what complicates all of this for the White Sox. When they called Schultz up back in April, the idea was for him to contribute to the MLB club while continuing to develop. For a 6-foot-10, 22-year-old left-handed pitcher, development was never going to be linear. Schultz was going to have some great outings and some rough ones, but it was important to the White Sox that he work out the kinks and continue developing while pitching against big league hitters.
It was a strong idea in theory. But now that the White Sox are closing in on the trade deadline while sitting in first place in the AL Central, they do not have room to give away games while Schultz figures things out.
Noah Schultz is still very much a part of Chicago's long-term plans, but he likely will not remain in the starting rotation after the trade deadline. He may not even be in MLB for his next start. David Sandlin had a really productive outing the last time he was called up on June 26. He could be a temporary placeholder for Schultz in that final spot in the rotation while the White Sox negotiate a deal for a veteran arm.
It is ultimately a good problem for White Sox fans to have. While it's not fun to see Schultz struggle, the fact that these games are meaningful enough for the White Sox to prioritize winning at the MLB level over development is a new and welcome reality.
