The Chicago White Sox are gearing up for the postseason with their third trade deadline deal.
After adding Luis Castillo to the rotation and Huascar Brazobán to the bullpen, the White Sox have now bolstered their outfield depth with the acquisition of Brenton Doyle from the Colorado Rockies, per multiple reports. The 28-year-old has consistently held down the fort in center field for the Rockies since 2023.
Doyle has appeared in only 45 games this season due to prior injury trouble. In fact, he was only activated from the injured list a week ago. He proceeded to suit up on July 31 and August 1 in the Rockies’ series with the Royals. It marked his first action since May 19, and he recorded a combined two hits with a walk and an RBI in those two outings.
All things considered, the White Sox have done a good job filling their outfield amid some injury issues this season. Tristan Peters has been a revelation, having some real hot streaks at the plate and flashing some great defensive potential in center. Everson Pereira, when healthy, has given the Sox some really strong performances.
Nevertheless, Pereira has struggled to stay on the field, and the same goes for free-agent signing Austin Hays. It’s also a lot to ask of rookie Braden Montgomery to be prepared for a postseason push. This is likely why the White Sox opted to bring in some outfield reinforcement, and they certainly could have done worse than Doyle.
To be sure, Doyle doesn’t offer a whole lot at the plate. He’s slashing just .214/.287/.282 with a .569 OPS this season. In other words, from an offensive standpoint, it doesn’t necessarily feel like Doyle would be worth playing over the Sox’ current options in the lead-up to the playoffs.
The defense is elite, however. It’s why he has been a mainstay in the Rockies lineup, as his arm strength ranks in the league’s 95th percentile. Doyle is already a 2x Gold Glove winner and will also offer some good speed on the bag.
Are those qualities reason enough to give up a Top 10 prospect, though?
White Sox Trade Two Prospects for Brenton Doyle
The Chicago White Sox gave up two prospects to bring in Brenton Doyle, per Jesse Rogers: Infielder Carlos Vielma and righty Mason Adams.
The former is a 16-year-old who was hitting .337 in the DSL. A long-term project piece, moving off Vielma is palatable for the organization. But can we say the same about giving up Mason Adams?
The 26-year-old is currently the White Sox No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. He has posted a solid 4.25 ERA in his nine Triple-A games this year and continues to creep closer to his major league debut. Many believe that he would get the call in 2025, but Adams ended up missing the entire season due to Tommy John Surgery.
All things considered, he has bounced back strong and undoubtedly provides MLB-caliber stuff. He’s known for his spin and off-speed stuff, with his curveball being his highest-rated pitch. Overall, Adams is the kind of arm who can work the strike zone well, and there is a very good chance the Rockies have him pitching for them very soon.
The White Sox must have either not loved what they saw from Adams post-surgery or felt like finding a place for him in the bigs could be tough with their depth. While they certainly have room to tweak their future rotation, names like Hagen Smith, Tanner McDougal, and David Sandlin might very well be higher up on the priority list.
Still, it feels like a lot to give up for someone who feels more like a depth piece than a difference-maker down the stretch. Maybe our outlook on this trade will change depending on other moves made, but it feels like a potential overpay for now.
Instant Grade: C
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