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Shortly after the clock struck midnight, officially making it August 3 and MLB trade deadline day, the Chicago White Sox made another deal.
They acquired right-handed relief pitcher Huascar Brazoban from the New York Mets in exchange for pitching prospects Zach Franklin and Gabe Davis.
Brazoban is 36 years old. He is a late bloomer who debuted with the Miami Marlins in 2022, when he was already 32. But over the last few years, he has transformed himself into a highly reliable relief pitcher, posting a 2.61 ERA over 51.2 innings out of the Mets bullpen this season. Because of that delayed start to his career, Brazoban also comes with plenty of club control. He will be under contract with the White Sox for the rest of 2026 and three more seasons afterward, taking him through his age 39 season in 2029.
That makes this a great addition not only for the White Sox bullpen in 2026, but also for the immediate future, which is probably a major reason Chris Getz and Chicago felt comfortable making the trade and parting with two pitching prospects in the process.
Zach Franklin is already 27 years old and remains in Triple-A Charlotte. He has a 4.37 ERA this season, but has shown big-time swing-and-miss stuff, totaling 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings throughout his minor league career. Franklin was a 10th-round pick by the White Sox in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Missouri and could very well find himself on the Mets active roster before the end of 2026.
Gabe Davis is the real prize for New York. He was selected by the White Sox in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft. The 6-foot-9 right-hander has an electric fastball and started his professional career with plenty of promise, posting a 2.63 ERA over his first eight career starts with High-A Winston-Salem.
Davis is the No. 18 prospect in the White Sox organization, largely because of that fastball, which can touch 100 mph. But in 10 starts since being promoted to Double-A Birmingham, Davis is 0-5 with an 8.31 ERA. He is walking too many batters, but has also surrendered 47 hits over 34.2 innings with the Barons. His future might ultimately be as a relief pitcher, and the White Sox are now putting that development in the Mets’ hands.
Still, the control and production Brazoban brings make the price much easier to stomach. In 2026, Brazoban ranks in the 99th percentile among all pitchers in average exit velocity allowed, barrel rate, and hard-hit percentage. He is also in the top 10 percent of pitchers in ground-ball rate, expected batting average, and expected ERA.
He can struggle with walks at times, but he very rarely allows hits or hard contact. He is also the type of bullpen arm who can pitch every other day and make 60-plus appearances over the course of a full season without issue.
Brazoban has shown no signs of declining with age. His fastball velocity still sits above 96 mph on average.
Brazoban has also made a slight change to his pitch usage in 2026, throwing his sinker more than 50 percent of the time. It has become a highly effective pitch that allows him to generate outs efficiently.
The emergence of Jordan Hicks in the White Sox bullpen made it unclear whether the club was still looking to add a right-handed relief pitcher. That had been an early need for the White Sox, but it became less prominent given the bullpen’s recent success.
Chicago then included Seranthony Domínguez in the trade with the Seattle Mariners to acquire Luis Castillo. The White Sox have now replaced him with Brazoban, an undeniable upgrade who fits perfectly within Chicago’s competitive window.
Continue reading...
They acquired right-handed relief pitcher Huascar Brazoban from the New York Mets in exchange for pitching prospects Zach Franklin and Gabe Davis.
Brazoban is 36 years old. He is a late bloomer who debuted with the Miami Marlins in 2022, when he was already 32. But over the last few years, he has transformed himself into a highly reliable relief pitcher, posting a 2.61 ERA over 51.2 innings out of the Mets bullpen this season. Because of that delayed start to his career, Brazoban also comes with plenty of club control. He will be under contract with the White Sox for the rest of 2026 and three more seasons afterward, taking him through his age 39 season in 2029.
That makes this a great addition not only for the White Sox bullpen in 2026, but also for the immediate future, which is probably a major reason Chris Getz and Chicago felt comfortable making the trade and parting with two pitching prospects in the process.
Zach Franklin is already 27 years old and remains in Triple-A Charlotte. He has a 4.37 ERA this season, but has shown big-time swing-and-miss stuff, totaling 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings throughout his minor league career. Franklin was a 10th-round pick by the White Sox in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Missouri and could very well find himself on the Mets active roster before the end of 2026.
Gabe Davis is the real prize for New York. He was selected by the White Sox in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft. The 6-foot-9 right-hander has an electric fastball and started his professional career with plenty of promise, posting a 2.63 ERA over his first eight career starts with High-A Winston-Salem.
Davis is the No. 18 prospect in the White Sox organization, largely because of that fastball, which can touch 100 mph. But in 10 starts since being promoted to Double-A Birmingham, Davis is 0-5 with an 8.31 ERA. He is walking too many batters, but has also surrendered 47 hits over 34.2 innings with the Barons. His future might ultimately be as a relief pitcher, and the White Sox are now putting that development in the Mets’ hands.
Still, the control and production Brazoban brings make the price much easier to stomach. In 2026, Brazoban ranks in the 99th percentile among all pitchers in average exit velocity allowed, barrel rate, and hard-hit percentage. He is also in the top 10 percent of pitchers in ground-ball rate, expected batting average, and expected ERA.
He can struggle with walks at times, but he very rarely allows hits or hard contact. He is also the type of bullpen arm who can pitch every other day and make 60-plus appearances over the course of a full season without issue.
Brazoban has shown no signs of declining with age. His fastball velocity still sits above 96 mph on average.
Brazoban has also made a slight change to his pitch usage in 2026, throwing his sinker more than 50 percent of the time. It has become a highly effective pitch that allows him to generate outs efficiently.
The emergence of Jordan Hicks in the White Sox bullpen made it unclear whether the club was still looking to add a right-handed relief pitcher. That had been an early need for the White Sox, but it became less prominent given the bullpen’s recent success.
Chicago then included Seranthony Domínguez in the trade with the Seattle Mariners to acquire Luis Castillo. The White Sox have now replaced him with Brazoban, an undeniable upgrade who fits perfectly within Chicago’s competitive window.
Continue reading...
