Chicago White Sox News: Lucas Giolito traded to Angels

The Chicago White Sox sell-off has begun as the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline approaches on August 1.

Immediately after the White Sox blew a 7-2 lead against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, the team announced after their 10-7 loss that they have traded starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and relief pitcher Reynaldo Lopez to the Los Angeles Angels.

In return, the White Sox got an immediate boost to their farm system as they received catching prospect Edgar Quero and left-handed pitching prospect Ky Bush.

Quero, the Angels’ No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, instantly becomes one of the top prospects in the White Sox’s minor league system.

With Double-A this season, Quero is slashing .245/.385/.332 with a wRC+ of 104. One thing to note regarding Quero’s Double-A numbers this season is that the league was experimenting with pre-tacked baseball during the first half of the season which gave an advantage to pitchers. So far in the second half of the season, when the league has shifted back to a regular baseball, Quero is slashing .267/.436/.367 with a wRC+ 130.

If there was one goal for the White Sox during their sell-off, it was for the team to acquire their long-term catcher. The White Sox accomplished that goal with the acquisition of Quero.

Bush, the Angels’ No. 3 prospect, instantly becomes one of the White Sox’s top pitching prospects. Bush got off to a rough start at the Double-A level this season but has an ERA under 2 with 17 strikeouts over the course of his last 3 starts.

The Chicago White Sox have traded Lucas Giolito to the Los Angeles Angels.

For the White Sox, since it was reported last May that the team was not interested in re-signing Giolito, the writing had been on the wall for the veteran starting pitcher. Giolito posted a 3.79 ERA in his final season with the White Sox but with the team now 21 games under .500 and a weak farm system, a trade was always going to be the right decision.

The inclusion of Lopez is likely what upped the package that the White Sox received from the Angels. Lopez, a free agent after the season, has a 4.29 ERA on the season but has value in his ability to miss bats with an upper-90s baseball.

The Giolito trade is likely the first of several for the White Sox as the deadline approaches. Rumors were circling on Wednesday regarding a potential Lance Lynn trade and that could be the next move for the team.