Could Chicago White Sox Have Reunion With Erick Fedde?

Erick Fedde had the best season of his major league career with the White Sox in 2024, so much so that he helped them build for the future.

After Fedde posted a 3.11 ERA across 21 starts, the White Sox traded the then-31-year-old right-handed pitcher to the St. Louis Cardinals. But on Wednesday, Fedde was designated for assignment by the Cardinals.

The three-team trade also involved the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who brought Miguel Vargas and two prospects to Chicago.

Here's a look at the full trade.

White Sox receive: Infielder Miguel Vargas (from Dodgers), infielder Jeral Perez (Dodgers' No. 17 prospect), infield prospect Alexander Albertus (Dodgers' No. 23 prospect), player to be named later or cash from Dodgers.

Dodgers receive: pitcher Michael Kopech (from White Sox), infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman (from Cardinals) and pitching prospect Oliver Gonzalez (from Cardinals).

Cardinals receive: pitcher Erick Fedde (from White Sox), outfielder Tommy Pham and cash (from White Sox), player to be named later or cash (from Dodgers).

Vargas struggled initially with the White Sox, but the 25-year-old corner infielder now leads the team with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs. Fedde, however, trended in the opposite direction. He was solid with the Cardinals at the end of 2024, recording a 3.72 ERA in 10 starts, and he had a 3.54 through his first 13 starts this season.

But things quickly went downhill from there. Over his last seven starts, Fedde has given up 30 earned runs in 28 innings. And on Monday, the Cardinals designated him for assignment. So, would a reunion between Fedde and the White Sox make sense?

Yes and no, for a few reasons. Starting pitching has been a strength at times for the White Sox this season, with Shane Smith earning an All-Star bid, Adrian Houser dominating since signing with the team in May, and Davis Martin having a 3.79 ERA before his injury.

But it hasn't all been smooth sailing. Smith, Martin, Jonathan Cannon and Martín Pérez have missed time with injuries. That forced the White Sox to try Bryse Wilson in the starting rotation, but they wound up designating him for assignment. They also traded Andrew Vaughn to the Brewers for Aaron Civale, who tossed six shutout innings on Sunday but has had a few shaky outings, too.

The White Sox have also done several bullpen games as a result of these injuries an ineffectiveness, which might not be a reliable strategy the rest of the season. The trade deadline is coming up in just over a week, and Houser has been mentioned as a candidate to be dealt, potentially opening another spot in the rotation. Pérez plans to pitch again this season, but his timeline to return is uncertain.

Simply put, the White Sox aren't currently in a position to run out the same five starting pitchers the rest of the way. Young pitchers like Smith, Martin, Burke and Cannon are also nearing their career-highs in innings, and the White Sox have mentioned needing to be creative with how they manage their workloads.

So from the perspective of needing others to cover innings, the White Sox could be open to adding Fedde –– or any starting pitcher, for that matter. General manager Chris Getz spoke to that approach in general earlier in the season.

"We're always monitoring what's going on at the minor league level, the major league level, if a player has an opt-out, he's on waivers or there's a trade opportunity that makes sense," Getz said on June 23. "Any move we made –– whether it be Houser or Civale, because those are obvious examples –– the biggest value is being able to protect some of our young arms, but also knowing there was some upside in acquiring those players, that perhaps they could help us at the deadline. But the priority is getting those guys out here and pitching well, and that happens in a lot of different ways."

But Fedde is owed $7,500,000 across the entire 2025 season, which leaves about $2.7 million the rest of the way. For a rebuilding White Sox organization that is not contending for a playoff spot, spending that much money on a pitcher who has struggled mightily of late may not make the most sense. Instead, they could opt to give a young prospect a chance in the major leagues, or look for a less expensive veteran to fill the void and use the money elsewhere.