1936
The White Sox had their first-ever transaction with the Atlanta Braves \u2014 although at the time, they were known as the Boston Bees \u2014 by purchasing second baseman Les Mallon. Mallon was a 0.0 WAR player over 116 games for Boston in 1936, bringing a passable bat (.274\/.322\/.357) along with a glove that wasn\u2019t passable at either second or third base.<\/p>\n
The infielder would spend both 1936 and 1937 in the Texas League, playing for the Dallas Steers and Fort Worth Cats while in the White Sox system; he battered TL pitching in 1936 (named the Texas League MVP, fueled by an .882 OPS) but tailed off some the next year.<\/p>\n
Mallon never played a game with the White Sox, and in fact saw no further action in the majors.<\/p>\n
1941 All told, Haynes put up 12.4 WAR over eight seasons and a shade over 1,000 innings. After the 1948 season, the White Sox swapped Haynes to Cleveland \u2014 but Washington, seemingly eating its heart out since letting their righthander go lo so many years earlier, assembled a trade to get him back just weeks later.<\/p>\n 1993 Burks hit 17 homers with 71 RBIs for the year, hitting .275. He caught the final out to clinch the division title that season, as well. In the six-game ALCS Burks hit .304 with seven safeties, including a double and a home run, and drove in three runs. He also walked four times.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, GM Ron Schueler wouldn\u2019t give Burks the multiyear deal he was looking for after the season; the outfielder left for Colorado, where he became an All-Star.<\/p>\n 2018
The White Sox<\/a> made a brilliant purchase from Washington in picking up Joe Haynes \u2014 but at the time, nobody would have known it. Just 23 but a veteran of two full (and poor) seasons with the Senators, Haynes may even have been hurt, as he saw action in just eight games in 1941. But he came right back in 1942, serving as the club\u2019s closer and leading the American League in appearances (40) and games finished (35), logging six saves. From there, Haynes gradually moved more toward a rotation role, peaking in 1947, when he led the AL in ERA (2.42) and was seventh in pitching WAR (4.0) while starting 22 games and finishing five.<\/p>\n
The Sox signed oft-injured outfielder Ellis Burks to a one-year contract. Burks would have a breakout season in 1993, and finally stop the revolving door in right field \u2014 at least for that season.<\/p>\n
It might have seemed like an an odd trade for a tanking\/rebuilding team to make, but the White Sox<\/a> were made an offer they couldn\u2019t refuse: Two veteran relievers for a journeyman minor-leaguer in a three-team swap. When two teams want to give you free stuff, you gotta take it.<\/p>\n