White Sox Swing Trade for Former Astros Arm. The Numbers Are Ugly.

The Chicago White Sox just made a move. They grabbed right-hander Jose Urquidy from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, according to a report from Fansided’s Robert Murray. The deal comes as the White Sox try to hold onto first place in the AL Central, and their bullpen has been a problem all week.

Urquidy is a name fans might recognize from the Astros’ 2022 World Series run. He pitched 28 regular-season games for Houston that year and made one postseason appearance. But that was two seasons ago. Since 2023, Urquidy has thrown just seven big-league games total. Five of those came this year with the Pirates, and they haven’t gone well.

The numbers that matter

In those five appearances for Pittsburgh, Urquidy posted an 8.53 ERA. That’s brutal. He did close out the Pirates’ season-opening win over the Mets back in March, but after that it was mostly a mess. The Pirates designated him for assignment right before the trade went through. So the White Sox are essentially taking a flier on a guy who couldn’t stick on one of the worst teams in baseball.

The 31-year-old righty hasn’t looked like the same pitcher who held a 3.98 ERA across five seasons in Houston. His fastball velocity is down. His command has been inconsistent. He’s been hit hard by lefties and righties alike. It’s not a move that screams “playoff solution.”

What this means for Chicago

The White Sox beat the Astros on Sunday to push their lead over Cleveland to 2.5 games in the division. That part is real. Two years after losing 121 games, this team is actually in a race. But the bullpen has been shaky enough that management felt like they had to do something. Urquidy is that something, at least for now.

The trade deadline isn’t until August 3. So if Urquidy gets shelled in his first few outings, the White Sox can try again. They’ll have to. Because nobody expected Chicago to be here, and if they’re serious about October, a guy with an 8.53 ERA probably isn’t the final answer. They’ll need to go bigger before the window closes.

The White Sox open a four-game series against the Yankees on Monday. Urquidy likely won’t be in uniform for that one. But within a week or so, we’ll find out if this was a smart reach or just a swing and a miss.