Chris Flexen returns on deadline

The White Sox will conduct a fire sale at the deadline and Chris Flexen will be one of the many players traded before the July 30 deadline. Now the main question is what exactly the White Sox can get in return.

When the White Sox signed Chris Flexen in the offseason, the assumption was that they would try to trade him at the deadline since he signed a one-year deal. It came down to how well he would throw after a down year since he has pitched very well in the past.

So far, Flexen has been a pleasant surprise, especially lately. Overall this season, he has a 5.13 ERA in 15 starts (79 innings). He has 60 strikeouts and a 1.41 WHIP. While those aren’t the most impressive stats, they’re inflated after a few bad starts, and he’s been noticeably better lately.

In his last seven starts, Flexen has a 4.67 ERA over 34.2 innings. That ERA is more indicative of his pitching because after coming out of the bullpen, Flexen gave the White Sox a chance to win the game every time he pitched.

A playoff team will find Flexen useful, whether as a starter at the end of the rotation or as a long reliever out of the bullpen. But what would the team have to give up to get Flexen for half a season?

I think the best template came last year when the Cardinals traded Jack Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles. While Flaherty has a better track record than Flexen in his career, there are some similarities between them.

Flaherty, like Flexen, had some solid success in his career and was coming off a season where they didn’t pitch as well as they did. Now, in the year of the transfer, Flexen, like Flaherty, is pitching solidly. At the time of the transfer, Flaherty had a 4.43 ERA, which is better than Flexen at the time, but can still lay the groundwork for a transfer.

In exchange, the Cardinals received the 16th and 18th ranked prospects from the Orioles, who have a very strong farm system. So if you compare a deal like that for the White Sox, taking into account the talent difference between Flaherty and Flexen, you can calculate the value the White Sox could get.

From a team with a very good farm system, you could potentially get two of their top 25-30 players, or maybe just one ranked in the top 15. Depending on the position value of the player they are targeting, it could be a player who is almost ready to play in the major leagues.

If the White Sox could sign a young relief arm that plays in the upper minors, it would be a win for the White Sox. While don’t expect a big name in the Flexen trade, they could get a top-30 player or two from a solid farm system.