White Sox trade Bummer to Braves for Soroka, 4 others
The Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox made a late-night splash on Thursday.
The Braves acquired left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer from the Chicago White Sox for right-hander Michael Soroka, left-hander Jared Shuster, infielder Nicky Lopez, infielder Braden Shewmake, and minor-league right-hander Riley Gowens, the team announced as the clock struck midnight ET.
"I think this is a foundational move for us and look forward to adding to what we just acquired," White Sox general manager Chris Getz said Friday, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
Bummer, 30, posted the highest ERA (6.79) of his career for the White Sox last season but still maintained a solid 3.58 FIP and impeccable 12.0 K/9 in 2023.
The southpaw has held left-handed hitters to a .199/.268/.258 slash line throughout his career, which has included 309 strikeouts in 272 innings.
Bummer is under club control until 2026 and is set to earn $5.5 million in 2024. His contract includes a $7.25-million team option in 2025 and a $7.5-million team option in 2026.
Soroka was once a top-of-the-rotation arm for the Braves. The 26-year-old posted a sparkling 13-4 record with a 2.68 ERA during an impressive 2019 rookie campaign that earned him an All-Star nod. The righty has only made nine starts since due to injuries.
Shuster, 25, debuted for the Braves in 2023. The former first-round draft choice posted a 5.81 ERA with seven homers allowed in 52 2/3 innings during 11 starts.
The 28-year-old Lopez appeared in 25 games for the Braves last season after they acquired him in a trade with the Kansas City Royals. The glove-first native of Illinois batted .277 with 12 RBIs for Atlanta while amassing four defensive runs saved as a second baseman.
Shewmake is another former first-round draft pick heading to the South Side in the swap. The 25-year-old only got into two big-league games last season but hit 16 homers with 69 RBIs and 27 steals at Triple-A Gwinnett.
The 24-year-old Gowens posted solid minor-league numbers in the Braves system last season, logging a 1.15 ERA and 12.6 K/9 during 15 2/3 innings at two levels.
The trade is the first major move by the revamped White Sox front office which is now run by new general manager Chris Getz.