CHICAGO -- Major League Baseball's non-waiver Trade Deadline passed Monday without the White Sox making any additional moves.
So, apparently, even general manager Rick Hahn rests once in a while during this ongoing rebuild. But the White Sox seem extremely satisfied with the prospect haul they previously obtained beginning at the 2016 Deadline.
"If you walked into our office this time last year and you gave us a list of the players we would ultimately get, including Luis Robert as the international guy, if you gave us this complete list, we would have probably both burst out laughing at you," a smiling White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams said. "And we would have said, 'Come back to us with something more realistic.'"
"We feel very good about what we've been able to accomplish thus far," Hahn said. "But we are very aware of the fact we have a lot more work ahead of us."
In this talent accumulation phase of the rebuild, focused specifically on players obtained via trade returns, the White Sox have acquired seven of their Top 10 prospects per MLBPipeline.com.
That list features Yoan Moncada, who is the top-rated prospect in the game and recently made his big league debut, Eloy Jimenez (No. 7 overall), Michael Kopech (No. 12), Blake Rutherford (No. 45), Reynaldo Lopez (No. 59), Lucas Giolito (No. 60) and Dylan Cease (No. 67).
Since the All-Star break, Hahn moved Jose Quintana to the Cubs, Player Page for David Robertson, Todd Frazier and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees, Anthony Swarzak to the Brewers, Dan Jennings to the Rays and Melky Cabrera to the Royals for a total of 11 prospects and right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard.
More moves could be made during the August waiver period, with right-handed starter Miguel Gonzalez, left-handed starter Derek Holland and Clippard possibilities to be moved.
Even outfielder Avisail Garcia, in the midst of an All-Star breakout campaign, could become a trade candidate. It's likely Garcia, at 26 and with two years of control after '17, would be claimed meaning the White Sox could pull him back, let the claiming team keep him or discuss a trade.
This White Sox squad in 2019 or 2020 has the potential to be loaded with talent, and that fact doesn't include potential free-agent additions. The current squad has been taking its lumps and figures to continue in that same direction, while keeping perspective about the ultimate target of multiple championships.
"We're trying to do something special here," said left-handed starter Carlos Rodon, an integral rebuild component on the current active roster. "We were trying to do it for a while. It's a process. Everyone says it's a process, trust the process. That's the truth. We are just going to go about our business and play hard every day, what [manager] Rick Renteria preaches."
"These last two months are going to be tough for us, but we're going to be up for it," said White Sox third baseman Matt Davidson, who leads the team with 21 home runs. "The staff is going to be up for it, and everyone in this building and on that field is going to be up for it. We're ready to take the challenge. All of us have great opportunities here."