It seems like the Chicago White Sox have fallen from grace just as quickly as they rose from it. A day after trading Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, the firesale is in full swing. On Friday, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal confirmed that the White Sox are in agreement on a trade to send right-handers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The trade signifies another nail in the coffin of the once-budding era of White Sox baseball.
Source confirms: Dodgers acquire Lynn, Kelly. First: @BNightengale
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2023
Dodgers Trade For Pitching Help
Lynn’s Last Chance
The 36-year-old Lance Lynn will strive to regain his 2021 All-Star form in the City of Angels. With a pending 2024 $19M club option that will inevitably be denied, his next handful of starts will indicate if he is worth one last healthy contract. As of now, all signs point to a swift no. Lynn has a 6.47 ERA, the MLB-worst among qualified starters, in 2023. Hitters are barreling him far more frequently than last year, from 6.7 % to 10.9%. His walk rate has significantly increased as well, with a BB/9 of 3.38 compared to 2022’s 1.41.
Kelly Back in L.A.
The hard-throwing Joe Kelly will begin his second Dodgers tenure on a slightly stronger foundation. While the reliever’s standard statistics aren’t exemplary, his underlying numbers are encouraging. Kelly is striking out more batters than ever this season with a career-high K rate of 32%. His xERA of 3.23 is more indicative of his performance rather than his real earned run average, which scrapes the ceiling of five. Kelly is sure to be a help for a bullpen that has struggled to hold leads in 2023.
The Recuperation
In return for the two veteran arms, the White Sox will receive outfielder Trayce Thompson, and right-handed pitchers Nick Nastrini, and Nick Leasure. It should be noted that Nastrini is the most interesting piece of the return. The Dodgers No. 9 prospect has an impressive K/BB rate in Double-A Tulsa in 2023.
Photo Credit: © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned:
Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly, Trayce Thompson, Nick Nastrini,
