The Chicago White Sox officially moved Michael Kopech from the starting rotation to the bullpen on March 14, and after multiple seasons of the 27-year-old struggling to stay consistent in the major leagues, it appears he’s finally found his place. For the rebuilding White Sox, this turnaround makes Kopech a potential trade chip at the midseason deadline, and if so, he may not have to move far — the Chicago Cubs would almost certainly jump at the opportunity to add him to their roster.
While there’s no indication that a trade is in the works between the White Sox and Cubs, it would make a lot of sense for both teams for Kopech to move to the North Side.
With almost three weeks of the 2024 season behind them, the Cubs’ bullpen is ranked 20th in MLB with a combined 4.40 ERA, so adding at least one high-leverage reliever is crucial if the team wants to be competitive this year. The White Sox are deep in a rebuild and continue to need young players to develop for the future, making the Cubs, who MLB.com ranks as having the second-best farm system in the majors, a perfect trade partner to target.
With that in mind, a trade between the Cubs and White Sox could look as follows:
Cubs receive: Michael Kopech (RHP)
White Sox receive: David Bote (INF), Pablo Aliendo (C)
Adding Kopech Would Help Solidify the Cubs’ Flailing Bullpen
Last season, the Cubs’ bullpen ranked 13th in MLB with a 3.85 ERA, leaving plenty of room for improvement in 2024, which the team openly hyped as being the beginning of their contention window. Unfortunately, the bullpen is now ranked 20th in MLB with a combined 4.40 ERA after 17 games, so at least some remnants of damage control is expected before the trade deadline.
So far this season, the Cubs’ bullpen has utilized the following relievers:
Adbert Alzolay
Héctor Neris
Julian Merryweather (IL)
Yency Almonte
Mark Leiter Jr.
José Cuas
Drew Smyly
Ben Brown
Daniel Palencia
Keegan Thompson
Luke Little
After 8.2 innings on the mound, closer Adbert Alzolay has allowed 3 home runs and leads MLB in blown saves, having closed only three out of his six opportunities. Ex-Houston Astros closer Héctor Neris, who the Cubs signed to a one-year, $9 million contract on February 1, has also been less-than-terrific, posting a 4.50 ERA and 2.00 WHIP in 6 innings after allowing 6 hits and 3 earned runs.
As if that’s not enough, José Cuas allowed 10 hits and 8 earned runs in just 6 innings on the mound for an ERA of 12.00 before he was optioned to Triple-A, and recently-recalled Ben Brown isn’t faring much better, having allowed 8 hits and 7 earned runs in 5.2 innings.
On April 17, the Cubs optioned Luke Little and Daniel Palencia to Triple-A to make space to recall right-hander Hayden Wesneski and select the contract of Colten Brewer, per the Marquee Sports Network’s Andy Martinez. It’s clear the Cubs know their bullpen needs help and are shaking things up to get ahead, and only time will tell if this switch-up makes any difference. Still, a big move is needed, and maybe it’s their crosstown rival that has the answer.
Kopech was acquired by the White Sox in 2016 as part of a trade package from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for ace Chris Sale, but over the last few seasons, the 27-year-old struggled to stay consistent as a starter. The White Sox moved Kopech to the bullpen on March 14, and if his first three weeks as a reliever are anything to go by, he’s certainly found his place.
In 9.1 innings this season, Kopech has posted a 1.93 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and 14 strikeouts, having closed both of his 2 save opportunities.
Could This Cubs-White Sox Trade Happen?
While there’s no indication this trade is in the works, Kopech is an obvious target for the Cubs before the deadline, but would they be prepared to give up David Bote and Pablo Aliendo? Would the White Sox accept their trade package?
Bote has appeared in just 41 major-league games since the start of 2022 and played all of 2023 in the minors, despite hitting .329/.438/.589 in 20 games in June. It’s unclear why the Cubs don’t seem interested in giving the 30-year-old a chance outside of Triple-A, but it likely means the team won’t be against the idea giving him up in a trade package, and the White Sox would be getting an infielder with a fair amount of potential.
Aliendo is the 20th-ranked prospect in the Cubs’ organization, currently playing for the team’s Double-A affiliate, the Tennessee Smokies. In 91 games last season, the 22-year-old slashed .231/.332/.458 with a career-high 16 homers, leaving a lot to be developed on offense. Aliendo is a solid defender, with MLB.com scouts commenting that he is “quicker and more agile than most catchers” on his prospect report, though he still struggles with inconsistency in receiving and blocking behind the plate.
For the Cubs, this is an easy trade to agree to, but the White Sox may require a bit more to let go of Kopech. If the Cubs decide to go all-in and need to sweeten the deal, they could offer to add infielder Pedro Ramirez, the 16th-ranked prospect in their system. Ramirez is starting this season with the High-A South Bend Cubs, having slashed .266/.358/.404 last season in Low-A.
If the White Sox make Kopech available at the deadline, there’s likely to be a lot of teams interested, and judging by how Chicago handled trading ace Dylan Cease during the offseason, the team will almost certainly have a high asking price. Hype about the Kopech’s worth on the market has already started, with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale projecting on April 14, “The White Sox may have a valuable trade chip on the market this summer with Michael Kopech, who has been lights out since being moved to the bullpen.”
If the Cubs play their cards right, Kopech’s move will only be across the Chicago river.
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