The post White Sox trade starting pitcher Adrian Houser to the Rays appeared first on Sox On 35th.
The White Sox have made a move at the buzzer.
After trading Austin Slater to the Yankees on Wednesday morning, the White Sox continued their sell-off by sending Adrian Houser to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for 24-year-old infielder Curtis Mead, 25-year-old pitcher Duncan Davitt, and 24 year-old pitcher Ben Peoples. The deal was first reported by Robert Murray, with later details coming out that the deal extended beyond Curtis Mead.
This move was clearly coming as early as Wednesday morning, after Houser was scratched from his scheduled Wednesday start in the White Sox’s series finale against the Phillies. After signing a one-year deal with the White Sox on May 21, Houser has been everything the team could’ve asked for and then some. He made 11 of his best career starts for the South Siders, going 6-2 with a 2.10 ERA/3.30 FIP in 68.2 innings after spending the first part of the year in Triple-A with the Rangers.
Adrian Houser, Filthy 86mph Changeup.
pic.twitter.com/ipzA82vETa
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 9, 2025
In return, Mead, 24, is in the midst of his third partial season in the big leagues, all with Tampa Bay. He is hitting .226/.318/.339 on the season in 132 PA, good for an 87 wRC+. He’s posted stronger minor league numbers (111 wRC+ in AAA this season), and has been viewed as someone who needs more consistent at-bats – certainly something the White Sox can offer.
He does come with a bit of a prospect pedigree in his history. He was a consensus top-100 prospect prior to the 2024 season (#65 Baseball America, #55 MLB Pipeline, #42 Baseball Prospectus) with the following scouting report from Baseball America in 2023:
“Mead is one of the best pure hitters in the minors. He ranked among the best in the minors in average exit velocity (91 mph) and hard-hit rate (over 50%). He is a tinkerer who will adjust his stance and setup to see what works and what doesn’t, partly because his hands work so well. Mead’s swing is relatively level and conducive to line drives and high batting averages more than massive home run numbers, but he’s expected to develop into a 25-plus home run threat as he learns how to better capitalize on hitter’s counts. Defensively, Mead’s below-average arm limits him. Second base may fit better than third, and the new restrictions on shifting will benefit him. His arm strength would have been stretched on shifts into short right field, but now that positioning is prohibited. At third base, Mead’s arm will likely always be a liability, but he has worked on quickening his release. His range is fringe-average at best, but his hands are adequate. He has also played first base.”
Curtis Mead has relatively quietly had a great month of June
17 PA
.462 AVG
.588 OBP
.615 SLG
4/3 BB/KOn the season running good contact rates (91.6 Z-Contact%, 82.8 Contact%, 57.1 O-Contact) with a much improved Chase% with strong bat speed and good LA
Have always liked… pic.twitter.com/1tls5yI3AK
— Owen Hurd (@Owen_FBB) June 21, 2025
Defensively, as mentioned in the scouting report, Mead has been a player without a true home, bouncing around the infield. However, he’s posted +2 Outs Above Average (OAA) at second base throughout his brief stint in the majors this season, and with five seasons of control, Mead could easily slide into a super-utility role as the White Sox look to develop his bat further. He has a solid foundation to start with, given his above-average bat speed, chase rate, and whiff rate throughout this season.
As for Davitt and Peoples, both right-handers have spent the 2024 season at Triple-A. Peoples, a former 22nd-round draft pick, comes over as a reliever for the first time in his career, and in 35 games (37.1 IP), he has posted a 2.65 ERA, 25.2 K%, and 12.9 BB% in what can be considered a successful transition to the bullpen. Davitt is a former 18th-round draft pick and starting pitcher who has excelled at control this season, going 5-5 with a 4.08 ERA in 103.2 innings. He’s struck out 24.9% of hitters while walking just 5.0% of them.
6 quality frames tonight from Duncan Davitt, including these 8 strikeouts
Final line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO
pic.twitter.com/94bRgOLM2P
— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) July 30, 2025
This trade was initially intriguing, even when it was just reported to be Mead in the return. He fills in as a decently high-floor MLB-ready player, which is a pretty solid return for a rental in Houser, who made just 11 starts with the White Sox. If the White Sox and Ryan Fuller can tap into his previous prospect potential, the White Sox absolutely have a chance to find an impact prospect out of nowhere.
After finding out that Peoples and Davitt were included, this return now gives the White Sox two intriguing arms to help both a rotation that will have innings available and a bullpen that could use someone with swing-and-miss stuff. Both are likely to spend significant portions of the next two months in the big leagues with the White Sox – who now have three different chances to make this trade a win in the long term.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The post White Sox trade starting pitcher Adrian Houser to the Rays appeared first on Sox On 35th.