“I was just going to church with my fiancé and my parents. Was on the way home from lunch and saw [Craig] Breslow’s name pop up on the screen,” David Sandlin explained in regard to the day he was traded. “Kind of had an idea that was why he was calling. Cause why else would he be calling on a random Sunday?”
Sandlin, who had been acquired by the Boston Red Sox back during spring training in 2024, developed into a legitimate prospect in this organization, making his way up the minor-league ranks to the point that the team added him to their 40-man roster back in November. The team viewed him as a depth piece for the 2026 season — a legitimate rotation arm with the potential to crack the big-league roster sooner or later. Instead, he wound up traded to the Chicago White Sox at the start of February.
The deal was more of a salary dump for the Red Sox, as they had been trying to move Jordan Hicks and the remaining $24 million on his contract. The White Sox agreed to take on most of the contract, though Sandlin was needed to get the deal across the finish line.
Not only did the Red Sox lose a valuable arm, but Sandlin was traded away from a close-knit group that had formed within the organization. Besides Sandlin, there were a group of pitchers who all had ties to Oklahoma, either from living there or playing for Oklahoma State while in college.
“It made it pretty fun in the offseason,” Sandlin replied when asked about his relationship with his teammates. “It made it easy to navigate the season. Especially getting to play with guys like Payton [Tolle], or [Isaac] Stebens. I was looking forward to meeting [Kyson] Witherspoon, hadn’t really got to meet him yet. Wishing him all the best. And was looking forward to getting that year in with Jake [Bennett] after playing with him in 2022.”
Despite being traded so late in the offseason, there are no hard feelings. Sandlin knows it’s part of the business after being traded once before.
“At that point, I was only one year into pro ball and had only played half a season due to injury,” the right-hander recalled. “Never in my mind did I think I was a trade candidate. Then it happened. That was kind my first step in learning how the business side of baseball works.”
Despite the disappointment of not getting to spend more time with his fellow Oklahoma pitchers, Sandlin is excited for his tenure with in Chicago. The exciting young core the team has built through the draft portends a bright future for the Pale Hose, and it doesn’t hurt that several players on the roster are former teammates.
“I’m excited, especially since I know some of the guys over there like [Kyle] Teel, [Chase] Meidroth, Wicky, those guys. So, kind of excited to get back to throwing to Teel again. That’s one of the guys I reached out to when I found out about the news,”
Sandlin will now have a chance to fight for a spot in the White Sox’s rotation during spring training, something that would have been near impossible for him in Boston unless several injuries were to occur. The right-hander expressed gratitude for his old organization, though he hopes to make a legacy for himself as he changes his socks from red to white.