Tanner Banks has found a new home. The White Sox traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies this afternoon, just a few minutes before the deadline. The contending Phillies will now have another left-hander in their bullpen to help with their playoff push, while the White Sox got a promising young infield prospect in William Bergolla.
Banks has been under the radar for a long time as an older pitcher on a bad team but has made sense as a trade candidate for a while now. He has been productive this season and is under team control for a long time, as he will not be a free agent until after the 2028 season. Banks could be a fixture on Philadelphia’s pitching staff in some capacity for years to come, given his ability to pitch either out of the rotation or the bullpen. He has been fantastic against left-handed hitters this season, and his 10.3 K/9 proves he can miss bats consistently. He should play a factor in the postseason for the Phillies in specific matchups against left-handed hitters in the middle innings.
From the White Sox perspective, Banks had been one of their best relievers all season. But the fact is that a team that is on pace to be the worst in modern baseball history does not need a 32-year-old reliever. Banks was a career minor league journeyman who became a productive MLB pitcher over the past few seasons. The fact that he became a trade chip was a win in itself. Because of his improvement over the past few years, the White Sox had the opportunity to turn him into a younger player who could play a role in the future. That is what they did.
William Bergolla is a 19-year-old infielder who was the Phillies #11 prospect before the trade. The 5’9, 165-pound left-handed hitter is amid a strong season in High-A despite being over three years younger than the average player at that level. Despite having just one home run, Bergolla has 12 doubles and 18 stolen bases while striking out only 11% of the time in 67 games. He has played primarily second base this season but has experience playing shortstop as well. Scouts rave about his baseball IQ, and he will likely continue progressing through the White Sox farm system over the next few years. Chicago’s infield depth looks more robust than it has in a long time, and now Bergolla is also in the fold.
This afternoon’s trade between the White Sox and the Phillies is the definition of a mutually beneficial trade. The Phillies are contending and added a pitcher who can help them immediately. Meanwhile, the White Sox are rebuilding and got an interesting prospect who could factor into the equation in a few years. The departure of Banks also opens up a spot for a younger pitcher in the White Sox bullpen right now. The Banks for Bergolla swap certainly was not the most significant trade on deadline day, but it is a deal that accomplished something for both teams.
