White Sox Manager Drops Subtle Hint That A Trade Could Be Coming Soon

The White Sox set their roster on Wednesday, right before Opening Day. This year will be different, as there are 13 players that made the roster that were not with the White Sox last season. That is some pretty insane turnover.

With that being said, there could be even more on the way, as White Sox fans should expect Hagen Smith, Noah Schultz, Sam Antonacci, and Braden Montgomery to debut at different points this season. Depending on who gets optioned when they come up, there could be 17 new players on the team.

However, there may be more turnover on the way, as when the White Sox were in the process of setting their pitching staff, Will Venable made a very interesting comment that could hint at a potential move in the works.

White Sox have 16 pitchers still in camp, with Drew Thorpe, Mike Vasil and Prelander Berroa headed to the IL. So their 13 hurlers should be set.

But not so fast, per Venable:

"Not necessarily. We’re still working through a couple of things here."

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) March 22, 2026

According to Scott Merkin, when asked about the 13 pitchers left on the roster, Venable said that it was not necessarily set and that they are working through a few things. This could mean a trade or some waiver work is in store. With two spots left on the 40-man roster and a high priority on the waiver wire, the White Sox could make some moves.

I’m not sure what the White Sox exactly have up their sleeve, but they may now be more inclined to make some moves after the horrendous outing from their pitching staff on Thursday. While it was just the first game, you never want to see your pitching staff walk 10 guys.

The White Sox did make a move yesterday, as they brought back Bryan Hudson on a waiver claim from the Mets. However, I don’t think that is what Venable was alluding to when he made that comment.

There are some interesting names still on the free agent market, such as former White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito, so perhaps they have another signing up their sleeve. As waivers process over the next day or so we will get much more clarity, but expect the White Sox to be busy with their claims and moves, as they likely will still move Korey Lee and Curtis Mead if they can.

I would not be surprised to see Lee or Mead flipped for a pitcher that has minor league options, as a team could see value in both players. I don’t know if there will be a shocking trade, but it is certainly curious that Venable would make a comment like that, especially when there is a roster crunch.

If a move is made, I am not sure who would be first to go back to the minors, so that will be certainly interesting to follow. The White Sox will need a solid year from their pitching staff to be competitive, so hopefully the staff continue to improve as the season goes on.