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First, an explanation. What you're about to read is a hot take. It's not going to be popular among White Sox fans, and many folks may disagree. I'm not even sure I fully agree, but there's a valid argument to be made that the White Sox should be willing to part with top prospect Caleb Bonemer at the trade deadline, so it's worth talking about.
The White Sox need pitching help at the trade deadline
Most folks watching the 2026 iteration of the White Sox seem to agree that the team needs some pitching help if they want to stay in contention for a playoff spot in what has been a surprising 2026 season. There is help out there. The Mariners have a dearth of starters and reportedly want a right-handed hitter. Reid Detmers of the Angels and Freddy Peralta of the Mets have circulated in rumors for awhile now. The Sox were just rumored to have interest in another Mets starter by USA Today's Bob Nightengale this weekend. In order to bring aboard any reinforcements, the Southsiders will need to part with some players of significant value. You'll recall the old adage, "Pitching doesn't grow on trees."
If you have to trade someone, why not trade from an area of strength? One spot the White Sox have a glut of talent at the moment is shortstop. Based on updated prospect rankings after the recently concluded MLB Draft, the Palehose have five players listed as a shortstop in their Top 10 Prospects according to ESPN. Former second-round pick Caleb Bonemer is perhaps the best of the bunch as he continues to thrive in the minor leagues.
Caleb Bonemer doesn't have a clear path to at bats in the big leagues
The scary thing is the Sox have enough talent right now to at least pose the question: when Caleb Bonemer arrives in Chicago, what will be his position? If you peer into the crystal ball like Baseball America, looking ahead to what the lineup could look like just three years from now, Bonemer is not playing at short. Billy Carlson was rated the best defensive shortstop in the system before Cholowsky was drafted, so either of them should hold down that position for years to come. If one of them takes over short, then Colson Montgomery, your current team leader in home runs, slides over to third, which is Bonemer's other natural position. Miguel Vargas takes over at first base on a regular basis and/or shares DH. If the Sox can still afford to keep Murakami, then he splits time at first and DH. So Bonemer can then play left field, right? Oh wait, Sam Antonnaci plays there, and he's proven to be no slouch. All he's currently doing is leading the team in batting average (.281) and OBP (.371) and is currently second in stolen bases.
Assembling talent and figuring out positions later is generally a sound strategy, but the White Sox could also consider moving a player like Bonemer to target another area of need.
I think a deal involving Caleb Bonemer is unlikely. However, if the Sox want to add some pitching help before the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline on August 3rd, they're going to have to give up something of value and Bonemer has plenty of that. It should take a player of significant value to get the White Sox to move Caleb Bonemer, but it shouldn't be off the table.
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This article was originally published on southsideshowdown.com as White Sox should not be afraid to include top prospect in trade deadline conversations.
