Chicago White Sox named top trade destination for elite slugger

The Chicago White Sox keep winning against all odds, and they are shockingly in first place in the AL Central as we are inching closer and closer to the halfway point of the season.

Perhaps it’s time to take the White Sox seriously, even with top slugger Munetaka Murakami sidelined with a hamstring injury. They just took two games from the Atlanta Braves before the final matchup of their three-game set was rained out, and since and 11-17 start, Chicago has gone 25-14.

But while the White Sox are a tremendous story and certainly appear to be legitimate playoff contenders, they still have some holes that need to be addressed.

We know that Chicago’s starting rotation is a problem once you get past Davis Martin and Sean Burke, and it could also stand to add some lineup depth. Even with Murakami healthy, the South Siders’ lineup is very top-heavy, so they could use some reinforcements.

On the latter note, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer has dubbed the White Sox a top landing spot for Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers.

Chicago White Sox named top trade destination for Ryan Jeffers

Chicago desperately needs more offense from the catcher position. Starting backstop Edgar Quero owns a .498 OPS on the season, and while backup Drew Romo has hit five home runs over 89 plate appearances, he is batting just .158.

The White Sox have been waiting on Kyle Teel to return from a hamstring issue that has kept him on the shelf since the World Baseball Classic, but he isn’t expected back until sometime next month. So could Chicago try and swing a trade for Jeffers in the meantime?

Rymer has tabbed the Sox among a few ballclubs that represent logical destinations for Jeffers, who is currently on the injured list himself while recovering from a hamate bone fracture. But prior to his IL stint, the 28-year-old had been slashing .295/.408/.541 with seven homers and 26 RBI across 148 trips to the dish.

It has certainly been a career year for Jeffers, although he has always been a very productive offensive catcher, owning a lifetime .755 OPS.

The caveat is that Jeffers is slated to hit free agency after the season, so the White Sox could be paying a substantial price for a rental. And the Twins would almost surely ask for more from Chicago considering the two teams are AL Central rivals.

What would be interesting is if the White Sox acquired Jeffers and put him at DH. That would give them one heck of a lineup with a healthy Teel behind the plate.

The post Chicago White Sox named top trade destination for elite slugger appeared first on ChiCitySports.