White Sox Outmaneuver Cubs in Last-Minute Trade Deadline Frenzy

As the 2025 MLB trade deadline approached on August 1st, the Chicago White Sox and their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cubs, were both active in the final minutes of negotiations. The White Sox ultimately emerged victorious, trading starting pitcher Adrian Houser to the Tampa Bay Rays for a package of three prospects: Curtis Mead, Duncan Davitt, and Ben Peoples.

According to White Sox general manager Chris Getz, the team had been in serious discussions with the Cubs about acquiring Houser, but the Rays' offer proved to be more enticing. "We continued to have those conversations up until about 30 minutes prior to the deadline," Getz revealed. "There was sincere interest, but it wasn't above the Tampa Bay Rays' offer, and so that's why we went the Tampa Bay route."

While the White Sox made just two trades at the deadline, the Cubs were more active, acquiring pitchers Mike Soroka, Taylor Rogers, and Andrew Kittredge, along with utility man Willi Castro. However, the Cubs' acquisitions were widely viewed as underwhelming, particularly given the team's need for starting pitching with injuries to Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon.

Houser, on the other hand, has been one of the most productive pitchers in Major League Baseball over the past two months, posting a 2.10 ERA since May 20th, which ranks fifth among qualified pitchers. The White Sox were able to secure a promising trio of prospects in return for the 32-year-old right-hander, a move that Getz described as "pretty remarkable work overall."