Well, Chicago’s bare-bones Rule 5 protection moves from earlier in the day make a lot of sense given the reports regarding their involvement in several trades late this afternoon. The wheels were turning in their front office, sending off two relievers and a minor-league catcher for a pitcher and two position players.
According to Bob Nightengale, the Red Sox are reportedly sending left-hander Chris Murphy to the White Sox for catching prospect Ronny Hernandez.
Murphy, 26, arrives in Chicago after
a truncated start to his big-league career in Boston. The lefty broke into the majors with the Red Sox in 2023, appearing in five games before being placed on the IL with elbow inflammation. He returned and demonstrated more promise the following season, but early in the 2024 campaign, Murphy underwent Tommy John surgery, again limiting his role to a minor one. The southpaw returned to action around the 2025 All-Star break and found success over 34 2/3 innings, including a 3.12 ERA. Control remained an issue, although some lost feel after TJ is typical. Still, Murphy offers some intriguing pieces for a rebuilding White Sox squad looking for controllable upside: the southpaw has one option year remaining, over two years of service, and four to five seasons of team control. Chicago can also evaluate his 2026 role as a starter or reliever.
Chicago traded 21-year-old catching prospect Ronny Hernandez to the Red Sox as part of the deal. A native of the Dominican Republic, Hernandez signed with the White Sox as an international free agent in 2022. The backstop has spent his last two seasons in the minors at Low-A Kannapolis, hitting .262/.376/.331 with limited pop but demonstrating some on-base skills. Boston adds another long-term catching piece, while the White Sox will rely on more big-league-ready depth in its return.
Speaking of big-league depth, per James Fegan, that’s where the White Sox turn from Boston to Tampa Bay, where the Rays sent outfielder Everson Pereira and utility man Tanner Murray to Chicago in exchange for Steven Wilson and Yoendrys Gómez. Wilson joined the White Sox organization in the Dylan Cease trade, and he provided solid innings out of the pen for the South Siders in 2025, finishing with a 3.42 ERA in 55 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Gómez, on the other hand, had a wild 2025 season. The righty was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers in May, DFA’d shortly after that, returned to Triple-A before being brought back up for 12 major-league appearances. In those 12 games, the 25-year-old posted a 4.84 ERA, including nine starts.
Murray will now give the White Sox some defensive versatility in their new haul, able to play all infield positions and even serve as a utility outfielder. The 26-year-old was a fourth-round pick for the Rays back in 2020. Murray played all of 2025 at Triple-A Durham, hitting .241/.299/.400 for a .699 OPS over 137 games. The utilityman will need a 40-man roster spot due to Rule 5 eligibility, but offers the defensive and durability profiles that match a team focused on roster flexibility.
Pereira, on the other hand, is a 24-year-old outfielder with a high-ceiling set of tools and high-level depth. The Yankees prospect was dealt to the Rays at the 2025 trade deadline but struggled to find his footing at the big-league level, hitting .138/.219/.246 for a .465 OPS in 65 at-bats. He can play both right and center field, so with a strong spring, he potentially fits into the Sox’s outfield picture. Pereira is also out of options, so he’ll need to make the South Siders’ 26-man roster if he wants to stay in the organization.
In aggregate, these moves continue a pattern for the White Sox front office. The White Sox are committed to getting as much controllable pitching as they can while gambling on high-upside position-player assets and building a roster that’s as flexible as possible.
