The free agent and trade rumor mills are starting to spin, and speculation has arisen about one young White Sox player. Catcher Edgar Quero, who made his big league debut on April 17th, is reportedly generating trade interest from multiple teams, according to Cuban Baseball reporter Francys Romero. White Sox general manager Chris Getz, while speaking at the GM meetings earlier this week, didn’t rule out the possibility of trading from a surplus to improve other areas of the roster.
Whether the White Sox will move Quero this offseason is unclear, but a trade could make sense to address a need at a different position. The asking price will be understandably high for a 22 year-old former top 100 prospect, but here are a few teams who could be motivated to get a deal done.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies went all in on the 2025 season, moving top prospects for closer Jhoan Duran and OF Harrison Bader at the trade deadline. Unfortunately for them, they ran into a buzzsaw Dodgers team in the NLDS, leading to an early postseason exit. With core pieces Kyle Schwarber, JT Realmuto, and Ranger Suarez now free agents, it could be an offseason of transition for the Phillies. They’ll likely look to bring back Schwarber, but Realmuto is now 35 years-old and they may look to get younger at the catcher position. The Phillies farm system is more barren than it was a year ago, and they seem unlikely to part with top prospects Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller, but something headlined by OF Justin Crawford, RHP Gage Wood, or infielder Aroon Escobar could be enough to sway Getz to pull the trigger. Of the contending teams, Philadelphia may have the most obvious need, but not the strongest farm system.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays missed the playoffs in 2024 for the first time since 2018, and followed it up by coming up short for the second straight season. They’ll look to retool their roster as they head into 2026, and catcher seems to be a position of need. The Rays acquired catcher Nick Fortes from the Marlins at the 2025 trade deadline, but his career .625 OPS profiles him more as a defensive-minded backup instead of an everyday starter. The Rays could be a fit for a short-term free agent like JT Realmuto, but they usually choose to opt for a cheaper option. Quero on his rookie contract could be just what a team like the Rays needs, and they may be open to dealing from their surplus of young pitching to get a deal done. A deal centered around RHP Shane Baz or LHP Ian Seymour could make sense for both sides. On the prospect side, RHP Brody Hopkins or 1B Xavier Isaac could be potential White Sox targets.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates aren’t at the top of mind when you think of teams looking to add this offseason, but recent reports suggest the Pirates may be open to the idea. Pittsburgh has the pitching staff to compete with anyone in baseball, but the team is desperately in need of some offense, and a young, controllable catcher to build around could peak their interest. Former top pick Henry Davis has struggled to produce at the big league level, and Joey Bart’s OPS dropped by nearly 100 points from 2024 to 2025. The Pirates farm system is loaded with young starting pitching. 24 year-old lefty Hunter Barco, who made his big league debut with Pittsburgh in September, could be of interest to the White Sox. Barco has a career 3.04 in three seasons in the minor leagues. He features a mid-90s fastball with a promising slider and splitter combo, and would compete for a rotation spot in Chicago in 2026.
I’d still bet on the White Sox holding onto Edgar Quero this offseason. He’s still just 22 and has time to grow at the big league level. But it’s worth listening, and if the White Sox receive an offer they feel helps significantly at another position, Chris Getz needs to be willing to pull the trigger.
