MLB clubs are “all over” the Chicago White Sox about a potential trade for rookie right-hander Grant Taylor, a team source told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
The White Sox are “uncomfortable even talking about Taylor,” according to Rosenthal.
Taylor, a former LSU standout selected in the second round of the 2023 draft amid his recovery from Tommy John surgery, has mostly served as a reliever for the White Sox since his MLB debut on June 10.
The White Sox first moved Taylor from the rotation to the bullpen while he was playing for the Double-A Birmingham Barons earlier this season.
White Sox assistant general manager Josh Barfield said in May that the decision was made to help Taylor manage his increased workload while ramping up from his injuries, according to MLB.com’s Mike Petraglia and Scott Merkin.
Barfield also noted there was a chance Taylor could get called up to MLB as a reliever and “grow into a starter,” per Petraglia and Merkin.
Since his call-up to the majors, the White Sox have so far eased Taylor in with 14 relief appearances and one start as an opener.
Over that span Taylor has struck out 23 batters and walked six while recording with saves and a 3.93 ERA.
His fastball is clocking in at an average velocity of 99.0 miles per hour, good for the 98th percentile among MLB pitchers, per Baseball Savant.
The White Sox last qualified for the postseason in 2021. The club has been actively rebuilding since 2023, bottoming out in the process by setting a franchise record with 121 losses during the 2024 season.
White Sox general manager Chris Getz said in June that the franchise is focused on “building from within” with an eye on the “next three years” as a development runway.
Given the possibility that Taylor could develop into a starter over that span, Getz may need to receive a trade offer he believed could significantly accelerate the club’s rebuild in order to consider moving on from the 23-year-old.
