Chicago White Sox News: Jake Burger traded to Miami Marlins

The Chicago White Sox have made a shocking move ahead of the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline.

The White Sox have traded third baseman Jake Burger to the Miami Marlins for pitching prospect Jake Eder.

Burger was in the midst of a breakout season with the White Sox.

In 323 plate appearances with the White Sox this season, Burger is slashing .214/.279/.527 with 25 home runs and wRC+ of 115.

The Chicago White Sox trade of Jake Burger makes sense.

The dealing away of Burger is a curious move for the White Sox given the fact that he has been one of the team’s best power hitters this season and is under team control through 2029. The White Sox recently began playing Burger at second base with Yoan Moncada returning from injury.

It would seem that the White Sox’s treatment of Burger at the beginning of the season was a sign that the team was not factoring the slugger into their long-term plans. Despite White Sox manager Pedro Grifol praising Burger’s bat, the team optioned the third baseman to Triple-A in favor of Hanser Alberto.

Burger proved the White Sox wrong with that decision but there have still been flaws in his game. With Moncada being a potential gold glover at third base when healthy and Andrew Vaughn an anchor at first base, Burger did not have a position on the White Sox moving forward. So while you definitely hate to lose a fan favorite that has flashed tremendous power this season, Burger had no true value to the White Sox.

In Jake Eder, the White Sox are landing the Marlins’ No. 4 prospect. Eder has an ERA of 3.94 in 6 starts with the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate and there is an expectation that he will be ready to join the Major League rotation in 2024. That is the value for the White Sox as a cost-controlled left-handed starting pitcher is far more of a need than a power hitter that features only one true offensive outcome.