The White Sox wanted to thread the needle at the trade deadline Aug. 3.
‘‘It was important for us to maintain the high-end talent that we have in our farm system but add players that certainly can boost our major-league club currently [and] also [are under contract] control and can help us for next year, as well,’’ general manager Chris Getz said four days later.
Usually, two out of three ain’t bad.
Rival clubs eyeing top prospects Caleb Bonemer and Billy Carlson were turned away. New acquisitions Luis Castillo, Huascar Brazoban, Brenton Doyle and Joey Bart are all under team control through at least 2027, when a young Sox core might be even stronger. It’s the immediate boost that has been lacking.
Castillo has a 5.89 ERA in a Sox uniform and has completed five innings only once in four starts since joining the team. Doyle is in a center-field platoon with Tristan Peters and made only his 10th start Tuesday against the Rangers. But he entered the game hitting .189/.189/.297 in 38 plate appearances. And those are the two who are active.
The Sox put Brazoban on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a strained left lat and recalled fellow right-hander Jonathan Cannon from Triple-A Charlotte to take his place on the roster. Brazoban’s issue flared up Monday, which wound up being the fifth time he had allowed a run in his last six appearances. His arm angle dropped noticeably in August, and he has a 6.10 ERA with the Sox after what had been a breakout season for him.
There’s only so much blame to dole out for injuries. Bart having his hand broken by a hit-by-pitch in his third game with the Sox is pure bad luck, and the team did well to add Jake Rogers off waivers in response.
‘‘You’d love it if they just hit the ground running,’’ bench coach Walker McKinven said. ‘‘But we have plans on all these guys, a couple of things here or there. We acquired these guys for a reason and are still bullish on all of them. It’s difficult to make changes — even subtle changes — in the season and expect immediate results.’’
Castillo has reemphasized a changeup that powered his 10-strikeout performance against the Reds. Doyle has embraced swing tweaks aimed at reviving his 20-plus-homer potential to augment his Gold Glove-caliber defense. Right-hander Jose Urquidy, whom the Sox acquired via minor-league trade a week before the deadline, still might prove to be a useful addition but has a 5.68 ERA with the team after getting rocked Monday.
The first three weeks since the deadline don’t represent the final word on any player, especially on a team where playoff contributions in October might be far more important. But the lack of impact has been felt in the Sox’ 10-12 start to August.
Benintendi on bereavement leave
The Sox put outfielder/designated hitter Andrew Benintendi on bereavement leave and activated Rikuu Nishida to take his spot on the roster. With Benintendi out for a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven, Doyle got the start Tuesday against Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom.
Trade dividends
Outfield prospect Dylan Campbell, who was acquired from the Phillies for outfielder Derek Hill in June, won Southern League player of the week after going 13-for-28 with four home runs for Double-A Birmingham. Campbell, 24, is hitting .266/.360/.444 with the Barons since the trade.