The White Sox have traded Erick Fedde to the Cardinals as part of a three-team deal with the Dodgers. According to ESPN, the full trade includes seven players.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports, that the Cardinals are sending utilityman Tommy Edman to the Dodgers, while the White Sox are sending Tommy Pham and Fedde to the Cardinals and Michael Kopech to the Dodgers. The White Sox will receive at least three infield prospects from the Dodgers including Miguel Vargas, Alexander Albertus, and Jeral Perez.
Vargas is the 11th-ranked prospect in the Dodger’s system according to MLB Pipeline. The 18-year-old shortstop was also MLB Pipeline’s third-ranked prospect in the 2023 international class.
Fedde has been excellent for the White Sox this season and was a borderline All-Star candidate. In 21 starts he owns a 3.11 ERA, 4.7 WAR, and 108 strikeouts in 121.1 innings of work. His 6.8% walk rate is also the lowest in his career. White Sox general manager Chris Getz took a flier on Fedde this offseason, inking him to a two-year deal for $15 million. The move was considered a gamble at the time.
The 31-year-old right-hander had spent the previous season pitching for the KBO’s NC Dinos. The decision to pitch in South Korea came after the Nationals declined to offer him a contract in 2022. During Fedde’s final season with the Nationals, he went 6-13 with a 5.81 ERA with a .283 expected batting average against him.
However, while pitching for the NC Dino’s Fedde rediscovered his form. He overhauled his pitch arsenal, trading his curveball for a sweeper and altering his changeup grip. The changes paid off as he took home KBO MVP honors and caught the attention of the White Sox.
It’s easy to see why a team like the Cardinals, who are in the thick of the NL Wildcard race, would want Fedde. He is under team control for one more season and owed just $7.5 million. That is pretty good value for a pitcher of Fedde’s caliber.
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