It’s July, so Major League Baseball teams still in contention are looking to find a player at the trade deadline to help get them over the hump. Of course, most of them are looking for pitching.
The White Sox, who are not one of those postseason contenders, appear to be willing to part with pitching.
In fact, they might have the most desirable pitcher in the trade deadline pool: Lucas Giolito. Another arm that Chicago might be willing to part with is Lance Lynn. It remains to be seen what kinds of deals might be in store, or if any trades would move the needle for bettors at Illinois sportsbooks.
So IllinoisBet.com dug through the player trade rumor mill and developed hypothetical odds of where these two could land for the rest of the MLB season.
The White Sox are 38-54 coming out of the All-Star break, months into a season where the organization had much higher expectations for the club. When players return from the four-day break, many are expected to be named in MLB trade rumors. Once the White Sox officially become sellers, trading away players on expiring contracts will become the first priority — including starting pitchers Giolito and Lynn.
Sports bettors can bet on the White Sox at ESPN BET Illinois starting Fall 2023.
Let’s take a look at both pitchers.
Lucas Giolito Next Team Odds
Giolito A Tempting Trade Target
The positives with Giolito are that he’s only 29 and he has been durable, making 29 or more starts the past four full seasons. In four of the past five seasons he has had an ERA under 4. The big negative is that unless a team that acquires him can sign him to an extension, he’s a rental because he can become a free agent at the end of the season.
For Giolito, the rumored likely spots that we have identified are with the Orioles, Dodgers, Phillies and Reds. But we also think there’s a chance he stays on the South Side.
As for Lynn, here are the hypothetical odds that we developed for his next destination. You won’t find these odds at Illinois Sportsbooks, only at IllinoisBet.
Lance Lynn Next Team Odds
Upside Remains For Lance Lynn
The other pitcher who may be on the way out of Chicago is Lance Lynn. At 36, Lynn is a burly veteran who has pitched for five teams. He’s durable, he wins more than he loses and from 2019-22 his ERA was also under 4 each season. But in 2023 he has struggled, with an ERA at 6.03 as of Friday. Would a move to a contender re-light his fire? Maybe.
Lynn makes $19 million a year, ending this year, but his deal includes an option for 2024. The Texas Rangers, who traded Lynn to the White Sox in 2020 for pitcher Dane Dunning (8-2 this season with a 2.84 ERA) are reportedly interested in getting Lynn back for the stretch drive.
In our IllinoisBet.com hypothetical odds for trade destinations — from the home of the best Illinois sportsbook promos — the Rangers are the likeliest contender to land Lynn. Texas is followed by the Phillies, Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Yankees.
Trade deadlines are often hard to predict, though, because the prospects in a deal have to align. If the team in need of a White Sox starter is looking to trade middle infield prospects and the White Sox are seeking pitchers or some other position, it’s hard to make a trade. Same if one team is looking for AAA prospects who may be ready next year and the other team is looking to trade A-level prospects who may be two or three years away.
Right now, the White Sox can use some punch in their lineup and more young pitching, but they have a nice piece to build around in centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. Andrew Benintendi is solid, and Jake Burger and Andrew Vaughn supply some power, but they really need shortstop Tim Anderson to get on track.
Otherwise it may be time for a total rebuild. It has been a quick fall from the 2021 playoff season and a time for the team’s backers at Chicago sports betting sites to be wary.
