The White Sox have struck their first player exchange of the offseason, acquiring 23-year-old relief pitcher Gregory Santos from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for 26-year-old minor league right-hander Kade McClure.
Santos was designated for assignment by the Giants on Monday, and the White Sox, who are 15th in the league’s waiver order, could have simply submitted a claim and hoped the 14 teams worse than them in 2022 would pass him up. However, they clearly valued his talent enough to bypass that risk and jump the line via trade. McClure, who was eligible for the Rule 5 draft this past month but went unselected, isn’t considered a candidate to be a regular major leaguer.