Pregame notes: The White Sox technically made a trade

The original headline for this notes post was a cheeky "They haven't made any trades yet" to lead into talking about potential trades.

Apologies to Tristan Gray, who didn't utilize his upward mobility clause to get added to the 40-man roster, just to have his trade to the Rays for cash consideration be ignored. The 40-man roster is at 39.

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Luis Robert Jr. is out of the lineup again with adductor soreness. Will Venable essentially said the same thing about his injury status that he did Friday, so it's very open to an interpretation.

As someone who heard it live, I think Robert is missing Sunday's game too. But see how it strikes you reading it in print, and make your own judgment.

"Still out of the lineup," Venable said. "Still sore, but better than yesterday. He ran around, looks good, just not quite there yet. He'll still be out of the lineup but be available off the bench today."

Overall this year has been on the healthier side for Robert. But given how much the appeal potential trade partners see in him at this point is center field defense and baserunning, rather than a bat that seems suited just for lefty-mashing, the various lower body aches and pains that have cost him a game or three here and there, have a bit more potential to be A Thing.

Sox officials have spoken hopefully that Robert's second half will inspire teams that are already in on him to offer more, and at the very least this ailment is currently getting in the way.

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As The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal already reported, I have also heard that the White Sox have been asked about rookie Grant Taylor. It certainly doesn't sound like something is even marginally likely to happen at this deadline, with Sox people indicating it would require a huge offer to even consider.

But it does prompt some long-term questions that they'll have to chew on going forward. If Taylor is a pure reliever, that's the sort of piece that rebuilding teams are willing to move even with ample years of control remaining. That Jordan Leasure and Steven Wilson both have multiple years of control left certainly won't keep the Sox from being willing to move them if the check-ins they've received on that pair so far mature into something more next week, it will just affect the price.

Taylor could offer seven postseasons worth of team control to a contender and is striking out 31.5 percent of opposing hitters as a rookie, so his value might be hard to line up even if the Sox were of the appetite to trade him. But if they continue to resist, is it because they believe contention is close enough to retain the best of their young relievers, or because Taylor is a special class of late-inning talent and/or starter potential that separates him from the typical calculus, or both?

It would seem like their internal belief that Taylor is special will continue to be the guiding sentiment. Right now, he's just making it a lot easier for Venable to map out nine innings.

"Before Grant, we asked these guys to pitch in a lot of different spots," Venable said. "Adding Grant on top of their versatility, gives us a really good ability to mix and match and navigate some games here. He's been a weapon. We can use him early, late. He's always available."

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Shane Smith threw three simulated innings Saturday afternoon against Josh Rojas, Tim Elko and a dash of Brooks Baldwin, testing out his sprained left ankle. Most importantly, Smith said his foot provided him no discomfort, but he also enjoyed being able to ask the hitters he faced for their immediate feedback.

"I like to start introducing the slider a little bit more to lefties," Smith said. "I threw one, [Rojas] fouled it off pretty hard and it was down. So he was like 'If you can get that in or up to make it a little more cuttery, that’s going to open up everything on the other half of the plate.' The next at-bat I threw him one backdoor and he was like 'If anyone is on that, you can get up and in because they are leaning over.'"

More to the point, Smith is hoping to avoid a rehab assignment and thinks the way he felt pitching on Saturday supports such an approach. Venable said it's undecided if he'll need a rehab outing or just more simulated work with the team. Either way, more shortened outings are certain to be on tap for both Smith, and probably Sean Burke as well, down the stretch of this season.

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Adrian Houser is the scheduled starter for the last game before the trade deadline on Wednesday, July 30.

First pitch: White Sox vs. Cubs

TV: CHSN

Radio: ESPN 1000 AM

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