The White Sox kicked off their sprint to this week’s MLB trade deadline by dealing outfielder Austin Slater to the Yankees for pitching prospect Gage Ziehl on Wednesday.
And while Adrian Houser was scratched from his scheduled start against the Phillies in anticipation of a deal, general manager Chris Getz was still fielding offers for the coveted starter as well as center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who made a strong final impression in what might have been his final game in a Sox uniform.
It all signaled momentum towards Thursday’s 5 p.m. deadline to sell off the few viable veteran assets remaining in the Sox’ clubhouse in order to load up a rebuilding farm system.
The 22-year-old righty Ziehl was rated as the Yankees’ No. 18 prospect and slots in at No. 14 in the Sox’ system, according to MLB Pipeline. He’s 5-4 with a 4.15 ERA and 70 strikeouts across three minor-league levels this year, mostly in 14 starts with the Single-A Tampa Tarpons.
“Looks like a cutter, sweeper profile, a right-handed pitcher out of Miami. So we’re excited about him,” Sox manager Will Venable said of Ziehl, who will report to High-A Winston-Salem.
Sox farm director Paul Janish projected Ziehl as a major-league starter with a “reputation as a fierce competitor,” Janish said.
Houser played catch in the outfield before the Sox’ 9-3 drubbing of the Phillies, but he seemed poised to be the next deadline domino to fall for the Sox.
A midseason signing who thrust himself into All-Star consideration en route to a 6-2 record with a 2.10 ERA over 11 starts, Houser has drawn interest from numerous deadline buyers.
Venable acknowledged “the market around him and the potential for a trade” prompted the Sox to bump Houser’s start. “Just thought it was in everyone’s best interest to switch starters today.”
Fewer than 24 hours remained for Getz to find a landing spot for Houser or Robert, whose $20 million option to stay on the South Side after this season seems steep for the Sox.
Getz was said to be commanding a high price for their star center fielder, who has a pedestrian .213 average with 11 homers and 43 RBI on the season, but has continued to play elite defense — and has posted a 1.094 OPS since the All-Star break.
Robert went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored Wednesday, along with a pair of impressive running catches in center. His first single of the day was a 111 mph rocket off the left-field wall.
Robert wasn’t contemplating his future after the game, conceding that it’s “in the hands of the team… Honestly I just try to not think about it.”
Slater, 32, hit .236 with five home runs and 11 RBI in 51 games after signing a one-year deal with the Sox last fall. No stranger to deadline disruptions — he was dealt twice last season — Slater gives the Yankees outfield depth and a strong bat against lefties.
Hugging teammates in the Sox’ clubhouse before the trade was made official, Slater called it bittersweet to move from the last-place Sox to “one of those teams as a kid you always dream about playing for.”
“There’s some really exciting players in this [Sox] clubhouse and some guys who can be building blocks for this organization moving forward,” he said. “Hopefully I was able to help a little bit.”
Venable praised Slater’s “veteran presence … just a great guy that was willing to put young guys under his arm and really help our group.”
The Sox called up Will Robertson from Triple-A Charlotte to take Slater’s spot on the roster. Picked up from Toronto for cash considerations earlier this month, Robertson was named the International League Player of the Week for July 21-27, hitting a hot .324 with four doubles, three homers and six RBI in his first eight games with the Sox’ organization.