Gregory Santos being non-tendered by Seattle seals a deal that once drew heavy criticism — and that trade now stands as a clear win for the White Sox.
Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz raised plenty of eyebrows when he traded away right-handed reliever Gregory Santos during his first offseason running the front office.
Santos was coming off a strong 2023 campaign, appearing in 60 games out of the bullpen and posting a 3.39 ERA across 66.1 innings with an even 9.0 K/9. The metrics backed up the eye test — Santos looked like a future closer, a rising bullpen arm on the verge of broader recognition.
He was young, promising, and controllable. Which is exactly why Sox fans were stunned when Getz dealt him to the Seattle Mariners for fellow right-handed reliever Prelander Berroa and minor-league outfielder Zach DeLoach.
Unlike Santos, Berroa had pitched in just two Major League games, and DeLoach was an older Triple-A outfielder without a clear path to MLB at-bats. The reaction was predictable — it appeared like the Sox had traded a proven big league arm for two lottery tickets. That kind of move usually happens only when a player is nearing free agency, aging out of a competitive window, or carrying a rising price tag.
But none of that applied to Santos. The Sox still had years of contractual control. He was one of the few bright spots in a miserable 2023 season. There was no urgency, no pressure, no obvious reason to move him.
Now that the dust has settled, it’s clear: Getz was right.
Seattle non-tendered Santos on Friday, making him a free agent — while both players the White Sox acquired remain in the organization. Neither has turned into a franchise-shifter, but Berroa in particular still feels like an arm with untapped upside.
And the truth is, Berroa has already made more of an impact in Chicago than Santos ever did in Seattle.
Across the last two seasons combined, Santos appeared in only 16 total games for the Mariners, posting a 5.02 ERA. He threw just 14.1 innings, walked nine batters, and struck out only six. Even more alarming — he faced 36 batters in 2025 without recording a single strikeout.
How does that happen throwing an upper-90s heater?
Berroa, meanwhile, missed the entire 2025 season after Tommy John surgery — a setback made more frustrating because he generated real buzz prior to spring training as a potential future closer. He exited his first Cactus League outing on February 22 with elbow discomfort, ending the conversation before it could start.
Still, even with limited major-league time, Berroa has outperformed Santos’s Seattle tenure. In 2024, he logged 17 appearances, 19 innings, a 3.32 ERA, a 1–0 record, and an eye-opening 12.3 K/9 — enough for many evaluators and fans to dream on his long-term potential.
Berroa probably won’t be closing games for the White Sox in 2026 — the front office is expected to target a proven veteran for that role — but in a simple one-for-one comparison, the Sox have already won this trade before even accounting for DeLoach.
DeLoach made his MLB debut late in 2024 and homered once, but the Sox turned to other outfielders for late-season call-ups in 2025, suggesting his organizational runway is limited. Still — anything he provides is gravy.
Getz and the White Sox do not have a perfect trade record. But this one is a certified win, regardless of what happens next. The player they moved is gone. The players they received are still here — and one of them still has the goods to impact games.