The Blue Jays have acquired infielder Lenyn Sosa from the White Sox, according to announcements from both clubs. In exchange, Chicago receives minor league outfielder Jordan Rich and a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Jays transferred right-hander Shane Bieber to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot. Sosa is out of options and will also need an active roster spot once he reports to the team.
Sosa, 26, is coming off the best season of his big league career. In 2025, he stepped to the plate 544 times for the Sox and launched 22 home runs. Despite those long balls, his offense was only league average overall since Sosa doesn’t get on base very much. His 3.3% walk rate last year was less than half of the 8.4% league average. Michael Harris II was the only qualified hitter in the majors with a lower walk rate.
He also doesn’t provide much on defense, though he is versatile. He has played all four infield positions in his career but hasn’t played shortstop since 2022. Most of his time has been spent at second base, where his grades have not been good. Outs Above Average puts him four below par at that position in his career while Defensive Runs Saved has him 17 below average. His grades at the corner spots have also been below average.
He has been out to a slow start this year, with something less than an everyday role. The Sox were surprisingly able to sign Munetaka Murakami this winter and made him their regular first baseman. Sosa has been used a few times in the designated hitter spot, in addition to one start at first base and one at second. He has a .212/.212/.303 line in 33 plate appearances.
Sosa came into 2026 with just over two years of service time, meaning he can be controlled through 2029. However, he may have been getting squeezed a bit with the Sox. The Murakami signing filled the first base slot and also made Miguel Vargas the everyday third baseman. The Sox have been using Chase Meidroth as their regular at second base. Sosa is out of options and can’t be sent to the minors.
For the Jays, they have been bit hard by the injury bug in the early going this year. On the position player side, Anthony Santander required shoulder surgery back in February and will be out for several more months. Since the season has started, the Jays have lost catcher Alejandro Kirk to a thumb fracture, designated hitter George Springer to a toe fracture and infielder/outfielder Addison Barger to an ankle sprain.
In response to those injuries, the Jays have had to reach into their depth. Brandon Valenzuela has been recalled to help Tyler Heineman behind the plate. Eloy Jiménez was added to the roster to replace Springer. Tyler Fitzgerald, recently acquired from the Giants, has been on the bench but hasn’t been put into a game yet.
Most of the time, the Jays have an infield of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first, Ernie Clement at second, Andrés Giménez at shortstop and Kazuma Okamoto at third. With Springer no longer in the DH spot every day, there could be a bit more flexibility to move some guys around. Okamoto is off to a slow start in his big league career, with a 35% strikeout rate through 60 plate appearances, effectively double his strikeout rate in Japan. Perhaps the Jays could put him in the DH spot a bit more regularly to have him focus on getting his approach down. Or if the Jays want to give Guerrero a little breather, he could DH while Okamoto or Sosa covers first base.
Sosa could also slot into the DH spot himself. Fitzgerald has options and could perhaps be the corresponding move for Sosa in the coming days, though if the Jays are squeezing Jiménez from DH at-bats, then perhaps he could be designated for assignment. Sosa’s righty bat could be used to pinch hit for some lefties. He had fairly even splits in 2025 but they have been wider overall. He has a .277/.301/.431 line and 102 wRC+ against lefties in his career and a .232/.261/.369 line and 73 wRC+ against righties.
There are certainly flaws in Sosa’s profile but the Jays felt they needed to bolster the position player group and there aren’t many options for doing that at this time of the year. Sosa has some pop and some flexibility, even if he’s not a standout defender. If things go especially well, he can be controlled for three more seasons after this one. But since he’s out of options, it’s also possible he gets squeezed in the coming weeks if the guys on the IL can get healthy.
For the Sox, as mentioned, Sosa was one of their better hitters last year but has been pushed into a part-time role this year. He is only 26 years old, so they could have held onto him, hoping for improved plate discipline and/or better defense going forward. But that would be hard to do with limited playing time and no ability to be sent to the minors, so they’ve cashed him in for future talent.
If they get any payoff from Rich, it won’t be soon. He was just drafted last year out of high school, in the 17th round, and is only 18 years old. He hasn’t yet appeared in an official game since being drafted. He doesn’t appear on lists of the top prospects in the Jays’ system, so he’s a long-term lottery ticket for the Sox. They could also add more talent later, depending on the player to be named later.
As for Bieber, he had some forearm fatigue in the offseason and the Jays have been building him up slowly. This transaction means he is ineligible to be reinstated until late May. He has been throwing off a mound lately but hasn’t yet begun a rehab assignment. Since he missed all of spring training, he’ll effectively need a full ramp-up, even though he’s now up on the mound. Whenever he begins an official rehab assignment, that can last as long as 30 days.
Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images
Here comes Antonacci
Here comes Mr Meatloaf
Looks like it’ll be Pereira back from rehab assignment, we’ll have to wait for Sam for a bit longer.
Yes sirrrr! I can’t wait!!!!
22 hr 75rbi in 140 gms last yr
4 yrs of control left
Sox dumped him off like an old mattress
White Sox have a surplus of infielders so he’s the odd man out.
Stay out of white sox business.
With a horrible K/W ratio and defense so poor that he managed to.8 WAR in 550 PA’s.
When he makes the league minimum, that still ought to net more in trade than last year’s 17th round draft pick and cash considerations.
Can’t walk, no glove, WAR of -1.5. He is an old mattress.
But but but…. Muh 80s baseball card stats!!!
When I was your age the interwebs only cost a nickel!
He’s not better than any of the 4 starting infielders and he’s not exactly a great fit for a utility man because of his glove.
He’s kind of the ultimate tweener player where he’s not quite right for any position except maybe 2b?
Good hitter. Doesn’t take walks. Bad fielder. Bad baserunner. So, he’s a RH DH with a low OBP. Not without value but it’s not much.
@roob, this paragraph is hysterical.
“He also doesn’t provide much on defense, though he is versatile. He has played all four infield positions in his career but hasn’t played shortstop since 2022. Most of his time has been spent at second base, where his grades have not been good. Outs Above Average puts him four below par at that position in his career while Defensive Runs Saved has him 17 below average. His grades at the corner spots have also been below average.”
He has the inability to field well but he can be a poor defender at a lot of positions. maybe the Jays should just put him on the mound to start. how poorly could that go?
White sox, along with the Rockies, having banner years with 6 wins each already.
So, just as many as the Jays?
Bit of an out of the blue trade but Sox don’t really need a low OBP infielder
The Blue Jays don’t either.
I’m not seeing the need and/or fit on the Jays here. They recently added Tyler Fitzgerald and called up Eloy in response to Springer’s injury. Unless there’s an unreported injury to one of their regular infielders, how is he going to get ABs? Fitzgerald isn’t even seeing any action.
I think Biebs is moving to the 60 day IL
but that still doesn’t add up
Bieber picking up that player option for 2026 is really coming into focus
Well the Jays kept claiming Ben Cowles from the Cubs and now they have him back and we’re watching him hit like .111 for Iowa while Jefferson Rojas plays beneath his level at AA. So yeah, I don’t get any of it either. It’s a mystery to me but most of the things the Cubs do are weird. I’m starting to think the same way about the Jays.
Where exactly does Jefferson Rojas fit into the Cubs long term picture with Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson and Alex Brebgman all signed to long term contracts? Currently, Jefferson Rojas projects as their best prospect trade chip or as a future utility infielder unless the Cubs decide to give him outfield reps going forward.
Traded
This is why the Sox should have packaged Sosa and Quero for a real OF in the off season. An 18-year-old Dominick Fletcher?
The return is a lottery ticket, which is expected in any deal involving Sosa. I just noticed the deal also includes a PTBN as well…two shots!
However, it means Tanner Murray stays in the RH UT roster spot, where he can provide plus defense at every position of the IF with more pop than Meidroth, who won’t start when Bonemer, Roch & others arrive.
Is it too much to ask for a Benintendi buyout today as well?!?
If they REALLY wanted to trade Benintendi, they would take another lottery ticket for him, rather than “buy him out!”
No team will trade a thing for him. Once he’d clear waivers somebody would take a shot, the prorated salary is all they’d get
. His legs are shot and he can’t hit anymore.
@fermier Benintendi has negative value & is untradeable bc of his league worst hitting & defense and $15M due next year. He’s a sunk cost like Keuchel, whom the SOX surprisingly bought out a year early when he was clearly finished for about the same $$M.
This….
I see the Sox heading towards an all shortstop infield in the next two years. Montgomery, Carlson, Cholowski and Bonemer. A really athletic and powerful group. With B Montgomery and Wolkow and maybe Zavala in the outfield. We know they have two lefties coming along with Schultz getting promoted already. Let’s hope they don’t screw this up.
Don’t forget about William Bergolla Jr. who is the White Sox #11 prospect and quickly rising up that list. He had a tremendous spring camp and endeared himself to manager Will Venable. He’s also out-producing everybody at AAA Charlotte including Sam Antonacci which is saying something.
Bergolla Jr. has good to plus tools across the board aside from virtually no power. He reminds me of Nellie Fox with the ability to also play a solid SS in addition to 2B. His ceiling is Luis Arráez with much more defensive value which unlike Lenyn Sosa also gives him a potential role as a legit White Sox future utility infielder in a system stacked with so many talented middle infielders.
Yes yes and yes!!!!
If the White Sox short term intent is to keep Sam Antonacci at AAA Charlotte a bit longer in order to gain more reps in LF then promoting William Bergolla Jr. to replace Lenyn Sosa as their primary utility infielder on the roster also makes a lot of sense.
Additionally, the presence of Bergolla Jr. might also help to light a fire under struggling 2B Chase Meidroth. I could also envision the White Sox demoting Meidroth to AAA in order to reset himself much like they recently did with opening day SP Shane Smith. In that scenario, Bergolla Jr. could take over at 2B.
Note: Triple-A Charlotte shortstop William Bergolla Jr. suffered a shin bruise after colliding with left fielder Sam Antonacci while pursuing a pop fly in the outfield. The White Sox placed him on the seven-day injured list on April 10.
If Antonacci does get promoted on Tuesday along with SP Noah Schultz it clearly won’t be with Bergolla Jr. The White Sox were reportedly still contemplating the Antonucci promotion as we post. I wonder if this mishap in the outfield is giving them some pause in regards to his current acumen on the grass as he continues to learn a new position “on the fly”.
Tanner Murray is not an MLB batter at this point, call up Bergolla Jr!
Quero wouldn’t fetch much barring a drastic overpay, I won’t be mad if Quero does turn into a solid backup catcher. On the basis talent wise Teel+Quero can be the best catching duo in all of baseball.
Romo has looked great behind the plate in Charlotte handling Schultz & McDougal. He is the best defensive catcher of the three.. Don’t be surprised if Quero is sent down when Teel returns to play full time in AAA while Romo is elevated and McGuire is traded to the Jays.
“Quero wouldn’t fetch much”
Exactly, that’s why the Sox should have sold high on him in the offseason. Now with terrible stats and poor defensive play, he’ll soon be injury insurance at Charlotte. Getz got too cute with his “our catching situation is the envy of MLB”, while their outfield wouldn’t even be the envy of AA ball.
Even if Getz were to sold high on him he wasn’t fetching a king size package anyways.
Most of these guys don’t even have a full year in the bigs and so many of you are ready to give up on ’em. It’s the middle of April and the Sox aren’t even contending this year. Calm down and let the kids play.
I said “package Quero” not trade him alone. If Getz had put a package of Quero, Sosa and a young pitcher like Burke, the Sox could have received a top OF prospect… not a 18-year-old 17th round draft choice.
I don’t understand why the White Sox are in denial of the fact that they are desperate for a top-quality outfielder. BTW, those of us who said that they should have kept Luis Robert, turned out to be right so far. But they chose to trade him for a nobody outfielder too.
@noneck SOX have devoted this season to evaluating their trio of young OF prospects from other orgs, giving a long leash to Pereira, Acuña and Peters to see if one or more can establish themself as a legit major league OF.
Braden Montgomery is being groomed for the 2nd starting spot by next year, and the other would go to whichever of their young IF propsects doesn’t stick in the IF (Colson, Bonemer, Antonacci, Roch). Hays & Benintendi are the vet OFs to augment production, which obviously has gone poorly as expected.
I understand what the Getz was “hoping” to do, but unfortunately, hope is not a strategy. If we are being honest and could turn back the clock a few months, the Sox would have kept Luis Robert (rather than trading him for another AAA OF)… and they would have packaged Quero with other players required to obtain a top 5 OF prospect from another team.
No offense… but some of us predicted this.
And if Quero turns it on in May and through the season it would be, “can’t believe Getz traded this guy” and LJR is hurt again we’d hear, “should’ve traded him for anything when they had the chance”.
Yep
“And if Quero turns it on in May and through the season it would be, “can’t believe Getz traded this guy””
Turns what “on”? His ceiling is a right-handed hitting, slow running backup catcher with no power. He can’t hit left-handed and will never jump Teel as the starting catcher.
As for Robert, he’s off to a great start… and the trade for Acuña looks like another Dominic Fletcher disaster.
This isn’t rocket science.
Maybe they could have gotten Matt Shaw for him. Maybe not.
Brewers would have sent CWS Gary Sanchez, a lottery pick, AND future considerations for Sosa.
If Heineman is hurt do they move Varsho to catch when the rookie needs a day off? Lukes, Straw, Schneider in the OF opens a backup infield spot for Sosa? Crazy?
Clement is the emergency catcher (but obviously somebody would be called up for any issue beyond a day). Varsho is never going to catch, his body is brittle enough in the outfield and he was by all metrics a terrible catcher even back when he did it regularly.
Has had shoulder surgery since too. Does not have the arm to play C.
@ Shark Mapiro – If Lukes, Straw and Schneider are the starting outfield the Blue Jays are in major trouble and may not even sniff the playoffs.
@Shark Mapiro
If Heinemann gets hurt they’d throw the catchers gear into stands. The fan that catches it cleanly would be the new catcher. That would be a better option than Varsho.
NoSaint lol
Heineman is having back issues, thats the only reason I brought this wild idea up
@Shark Mapiro
I know 😏. It is rather telling though that such an idea would be brought up. To be honest I had a peek at Roster Resource when I read about Heinemann.
“He doesn’t provide much on defense, but is versatile” = He can be bad at multiple positions!
I can verify that.
… and where he played the most in his career (second base), he was terrible there, too.
Those Sosa boys love them some juice. 🤣
White Sox had no real use for him. Can’t take a walk, can’t defend well anywhere, so aside from some power, what does he really provide? Better to get something than to just put him on waivers.
22 homers and 75 RBI? DH.
Still an average hitter per OPS+. You want better than that from a DH. Also, AB is practically untradeable, but also hard to play in the field. And when Teel’s not at C, you want his bat in the lineup. Not enough PA’s available at DH.
Get two hits- get your batting average above .200 . You are outa here! Will make room for Sam A. No place on this struggling offensive club for you. Say Hi to Eloy!!
From the Blue Jays perspective what is the advantage in this trade?
He sounds like a worse version of Leo Jimenez whom they DFAed then traded for lottery tickets.
A healthy body on a team decimated by injuries
I thought that was what Fitzgerald was.
Here is hoping Sosa gets a chance and makes it look like a good trade.
Sox fan here. Sosa can hit a little but has an incredibly low baseball IQ. Base running is an adventure, defense is an adventure, makes little league mistakes.
That being said, I really have no idea what the White Sox are doing, and they don’t, either.
Defeating dog whistles.
This does not bode well for Fitzgerald, as he couldn’t even get on field yet now they bring a more successful hitter on board that can cover similar fielding.
Everybody loves the idea of Fitzgerald, but nobody has the stones to actually put him in the lineup.
White Flag trade….we just gave up are on chance to win 63 games this year.
Beiber to the 60 day IL? Stevie Wonder saw that one coming.
An 18 yr old high schooler for Sosa. The Sox should have just DFA’d him. What are the chances will will ever hear about the player they got for Sosa?
Sosa led the team in homers last year! Couldn’t the Sox have at least tried him in the outfield?
Who is going to replace his 22 homeruns? Hill?
Harris? Peters? Accuna?
They got a player back in the trade, whether you ever seem in MLB is neither here nor there to the fact that they got a return while also unloading his salary to the Jays. On a DFA if no one claimed him they would still be on the hook for his salary for the rest of the season if they released him
Sosa is league worst at drawing walks, baserunning and defense at 2B. Homers or not, he wasn’t in their longterm plans and was blocking younger players that could do all of those things better. TOR is an ideal landing spot for him at DH only.
I think Murray fits perfectly in their RH UT role. He plays 5 positions well and won TBs’ 2024 minor league defensive player of the year, plus has similar pop. Antonacci will fill the left handed platoon at LF/2B eventually, also doing all those things better than Sosa, minus the 20 HRs, but in effect will contribute more to winning than Sosa by producing & preventing more runs (ideally).
Also, the SOX get to choose from a list of players TOR has offered as the PTBN, giving them time to scout ‘em, likely in the Rookie or DR league, or simply choose cash, adding a bit more to their return. The trade is a good thing for everyone involved (except Eloy!).
18 yr old whk hasn’t played yet and Noone has heard of. Like thw gue the Sox threw in for Big Game Shields? What’s his name? Fernando jr something? Valenzuela? Tatis?
I like the return for Mead when he was dealt to Nats, a 6th round LH catcher Boston Smith who now hits third behind Fauske & Carlson in Kannapolis who has 5 CS in 5 games, and also plays a bit of LF (2 whole games).
I trust their draft scouting department who has found great value in middle & late rounds the past four years. Jordan Rich comes from the same HS program that’s produced Casas, Vientos & Hosmer and was surely scouted by Shirley.
Boston Smith played more outfield than catcher last season, same with Jaden Fauske prior to getting drafted.
I have a feeling Murakami will easily replace the 22 home runs that you’re on about. Possibly even Teel and Montgomery.
Jordan Rich. Spanish for Tatis!
Don’t get this trade at all from Jays perspective. Has some pop, but subpar to terrible at everything else. Are there hidden machinations at play?
This seems like a steal for the Blue Jays. I don’t know this thing well, but someone please explain to me why the White Sox made this trade.
No room for Sosa. He doesn’t have a position, doesn’t play any very well, doesn’t walk. Tanner Murray will back up the IF/OF, as will Antonacci. They needed a 40-man and 26-man spot for Schultz, and another 26-man spot for Pereira.
If Heinemann gets hurt they’ll call up Brandon Little, he can’t be any worse at catching as he is pitching.
Let’s see if Jays robbed the Chump Sox though their fans bragging about Bieber re-signing and Anthony Santander being a “ monster signing” has already aged poorly. Knowing Jays media they are probably already working on his hall of fame plaque.
I’ll say this, the White Sox get none of my money playing like this. Not…. One…. Penny. Not watching them is costing me nothing, it actually has the side effect or no misery, no frustration, and no loss in having to pay whatever per month to watch these bums. It costs me nothing to scoff at the lack of effort in the box score afterwards.
I really hope I’m wrong, maybe they finally ‘gel’ when Teel (after his meaningless game hamstring issue) get healthy and comes back, maybe he is the spark plug they need like last season, but then again their pitching.. ..ugh. Again, more ‘hopes’, nothing to hang one’s hat on. Never mind the apparent lack of coaching (again) in this club.
I love the White Sox as a fan, but this management.. ugh. Heck, they may get it right only for their resident ‘Mummy’ owner to come in and make a move to replace the manager again or do something else stupid. They need ownership change.. Pronto.. Yeah, it may not be THE solution, but since everything else has been tried…..
Start winning and I come back. Keep being the same mediocre club promising me a ‘window to win’ and Im gone.
Sosa is simply the odd man out due to surplus of infielders.
How is Eloy Jimenez not in Mexico or Korea yet? He’s the prototypical type of player that puts together a few nice years over there and maybe parlays it into one more crack at the big leagues.
Wow. That’s a lot of analysis for a near meaningless trade. Alex, I’ll take trades nobody will remember 6 years from now for $500.
And yet here you are typing characters about an issue you claim to care not. Methinks the lady doth protesteth too much
My point is valid DDTheo. But thank you for yet again contributing nothing with one of your posts. And clownish to say he was popular with the fans. I don’t think I’ve ever seen ONE jersey at the ballpark. In your world, on what shelf are L. Sosa jerseys flying off? Uhhhh….no.
Continuing to insist there’s too much analysis about a meaningless trade. And yet you continue to share your insights on such purported meaningless banter on the comment section to US News and World Report…no a site called MLB Trade Rumors. Tap tap tap.
“I really don’t care, do you?” Melania, is that you ?
Lenyn Sosa plays hard, was popular with fans and can smack the ball. But with his limitations – isn’t he essentially Jake Burger 2.0?
I was thinking Amed Rosario
what is good about this player? I can’t see it. He has a pulse is that where we are?
It looks like Lenyn’s career has been Stalin.
Why did white Sox so this?
Bieber proving only reason he accepted offer. He knew He could not pass a physical with new team.
Been pretty clear. $12MM for a healthy Bieber is way under market:
One wonders how guys with defense that bad get to the majors in the first place.
@snow
A lot of it is if can can slug and cheap we’ll figure out where to hide you and bad defense
And the DH gives a potential excuse for guys not to work on their defense.