White Sox Acquire Reliever Huascar Brazoban From Mets in Bullpen-Boosting Trade

The Chicago White Sox made a late-night move to reinforce their bullpen, agreeing to acquire right-handed reliever Huascar Brazoban from the New York Mets in a trade first reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal early Monday morning. In exchange, the White Sox sent Double-A right-hander Gabe Davis and Triple-A right-hander Zach Franklin to New York, adding two arms to the Mets’ farm system as the trade deadline approaches.

Brazoban, 36, has quietly turned in one of the more effective seasons of his career in 2026, going 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA, 23 walks and 49 strikeouts across 52.2 innings over 46 appearances, including six starts as the Mets’ primary “opener.” The veteran right-hander has bounced around the league since debuting with the Miami Marlins, posting a 17-10 record with two saves and a 3.59 ERA across stints with the Marlins from 2022-24 and the Mets from 2024-26. His willingness to soak up short, high-leverage bursts made him a valuable piece of manager Carlos Mendoza’s pitching staff this season.

Why the White Sox Wanted Brazoban

Chicago’s bullpen has been a season-long question mark, and the front office clearly views Brazoban as an experienced arm capable of stabilizing high-leverage innings down the stretch. His opener role in New York showed he can handle the pressure of facing a lineup’s top of the order right out of the gate, a skill set that translates directly to setup or closing work. With a career mark that includes multiple saves and a track record of missing bats — his 49 strikeouts against just 23 walks this season reflect a pitcher who has sharpened his command even as he’s entered his mid-thirties — Brazoban gives Chicago a low-cost, win-now piece without touching the top of its farm system.

The return for New York, meanwhile, signals the Mets prioritizing organizational pitching depth over a rental reliever as they retool for the stretch run. Davis and Franklin are unproven at the upper minor league levels, but both give the Mets additional pitching inventory as the front office continues to shape its roster around the current core. For bettors tracking how these deadline deals shake out, keeping an eye on updated MLB odds will be key as both teams’ bullpen usage shifts in the coming weeks.

What Comes Next for Both Clubs

For the White Sox, Brazoban immediately becomes one of the more MLB-tested arms in a bullpen searching for consistency, and manager Will Venable will look to plug him into high-leverage spots right away. His multi-inning capability, honed through his opener duty in Queens, gives Chicago valuable flexibility as they navigate the rest of the summer schedule. The move also continues a theme around the deadline of teams targeting affordable, effective relief help rather than paying a premium for star power at the position.

For the Mets, subtracting Brazoban opens a spot in their bullpen picture, though the team has shown it can pivot quickly when it comes to opener duty and short relief innings. Losing a pitcher with a sub-3.00 ERA is never painless, but restocking the pipeline with two live arms in Davis and Franklin gives New York’s player development staff fresh assets to work with. Neither team has issued an official confirmation of the trade, but reporting from The Athletic and multiple national outlets indicates the deal is finalized and pending the customary physicals and paperwork before both pitchers officially change organizations.