3 Angels trade targets on the White Sox not named Dylan Cease

The Chicago White Sox find themselves in a rough spot after a disappointing 2023 season. They have several talented players and should be good enough to compete in a lackluster AL Central division, but went 61-101, winning 12 fewer games than the Los Angeles Angels, in 2023.

As a result of their failures, Chicago fired their GM Rick Hahn and replaced him with Chris Getz. The new GM has made it abundantly clear that he is willing to trade anyone and everyone as Chicago enters what will likely be a long rebuild.

One piece every team including the Angels will be salivating over is Dylan Cease. Unfortunately for the Angels, they likely don't have enough to land him for their rotation. While Cease and fellow star Luis Robert Jr. are probably off the table for the Angels, there are three other players on the White Sox that Perry Minasian should consider trading for.

1) Eloy Jimenez

This fit here is rather simple to figure out. If Shohei Ohtani departs in free agency, Jimenez can simply take his spot as the team's designated hitter. Having a 26-year-old be the regular DH isn't exactly what a team would want, but in Jimenez's case it's really the only option.

Jimenez is an atrocious defender in the outfield, posting career marks of -19 OAA and -18 DRS throughout his five-year career. He's doing this despite only having one season in which he has played over 100 games in the field. That came back in his rookie year of 2019.

In addition to the poor defense, Jimenez has had a rough time simply staying on the field. He's played over 100 games twice, with the second time coming this past season. He's hit whenever he's played, but injuries are a main concern.

Jimenez is set to make over $13 million this season and has two club options for each of the next two seasons at $16.5 million and $18.5 million respectively. A 26-year-old with all-star qualities and three years of control would normally be hard to get, but Jimenez's limitations in the field and in the health department make him a player the Angels can target.

At the plate, Jimenez has been nothing short of solid, posting an .811 OPS and 118 OPS+ in his career. He's not Ohtani, but would still provide a big boost to the Angels lineup if Ohtani does leave.

3) Gregory Santos

While Chicago will likely strongly entertain offers surrounding guys like Jimenez and Kopech who aren't too far away from free agency, them parting with an arm like Gregory Santos would take some more work.

Santos is just 24 years old and doesn't hit arbitration until the 2026 offseason. He has five years of team control left, making him a premium asset. Especially after the season he just had out of their bullpen.

The right-hander posted a 3.39 ERA in 60 appearances and 66.1 innings pitched. He walked just 17 batters compared to 66 strikeouts, and had a 2.65 FIP, showing that his ERA likely should have been even lower. He ended the year as their primary closer, although he did struggle in that role. Santos' ability to force the opposition into weak contact in 2023 was something to behold, as he ranked in the 100th percentile in barrel rate according to baseball savant.

Santos is one of very few bright young spots on their team right now, so the White Sox parting with him is hard to envision. Despite that, Getz did say everyone can be had. This is a player the Angels should have their eyes on, as they look to improve what was once again a lackluster bullpen in 2023. He'd add some more youth and another hard-thrower (98.9 mph average on his sinker) to this bullpen.