White Sox should avoid this one All-Star trade like the plague

The Chicago White Sox just took two out of three from the Cleveland Guardians to retake the lead in the AL Central, and given that Jose Ramirez is sidelined for the foreseeable future, the division could be theirs to lose.

Of course, the White Sox definitely need to patch up some holes between now and the MLB trade deadline if they want to truly separate themselves, and perhaps their primary issue of concern is their thin starting rotation.

Beyond Davis Martin and Sean Burke, Chicago’s pitching staff is very limited. The White Sox’s starters own a 4.37 ERA, and they really don’t even have any definitive answers after Martin, Burke and Anthony Kay. Noah Schultz is currently rehabbing from a knee injury that has kept him sidelined since last month, but he has a 5.82 ERA through eight starts.

Chicago wasn’t expected to be a buyer heading into the 2026 campaign, but now, it’s looking more and more like the South Siders might get aggressive. They could use some more offense, as well, but adding another starting pitcher should be the main priority.

There is one arm, however, that the White Sox should should absolutely avoid: New York Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta.

Chicago White Sox should steer clear of Freddy Peralta

The Mets acquired Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers during the offseason, hoping that the two-time All-Star would lead their pitching staff.

Instead, Peralta has logged a 4.83 ERA across his first 16 starts, and while that number is definitely a bit inflated from his most recent start when he surrendered 10 earned runs against the Philadelphia Phillies, it wasn’t like he was pitching all that well at any point this season.

The 30-year-old owns a 4.32 FIP and 1.389 WHIP. His strikeout rate (8.7 K/9) has absolutely plummeted and is well below his career average of 10.9 punchouts per nine innings. What’s more, he is an impending free agent who will probably get overpaid next winter.

Chicago absolutely cannot afford to part with substantial prospect capital to land a struggling pitcher who will simply walk after the season. Yes, there is no question that Peralta’s price tag has dropped, but you can bet that there will still be somewhat of a bidding war for the Dominican native given the fact that he posted a 2.70 ERA last year.

The White Sox should stay far away from Peralta and explore more affordable options, preferably ones still under club control.

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