Buy, sell or stand pat? A look at Chicago White Sox's options as trade deadline nears

The trade deadline is Wednesday at 3 p.m., and the Chicago White Sox might be buyers but are much more likely to be sellers.

There is also option No. 3, which is standing pat.

Let's look at all three choices.

The Sox figure to be very active adding veteran players during the off-season, especially on the starting pitcher front.

But if they could land an arm like the Mets' Noah Syndergaard or Diamondbacks' Zack Greinke now, that would give them a nice head start on 2020.

Syndergaard is scheduled to start against the White Sox on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game interleague series at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The White Sox also have been linked to the Rangers' Nomar Mazara, a talented but strikeout-prone right fielder.

The Sox have been big sellers in each of the past two seasons. They traded closer David Robertson in 2017 and closer Joakim Soria last year.

Are they going to make it 3-for-3 by moving Alex Colome this season?

Not only is he 21-for-22 in save opportunities, Colome is under contractual control through next year.

The guess here is Colome sticks unless White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is offered a high-end pitching prospect.

"For our standpoint, it's always going to be about putting us in the best long-term position," Hahn said. "When you are talking about guys who could potentially play a role on the 2020 White Sox, a year we expect to take yet another step forward in the process and start being in the mix for playing in October, the calculus becomes a little more heavily weighted in terms of keeping a guy. In the end this will be about market value."

The Phillies, Braves, Nationals and Dodgers are among the teams that have expressed an interest in Colome.

Left-handed relievers Aaron Bummer and Jace Fry also have been mentioned as trade candidates, but they are both young and years away from free agency. Unless the Sox are buyers at the deadline, Bummer and Fry figure to stay put.

Starter Ivan Nova has emerged as a trade chip with a strong July (3-2, 3.16 ERA).

The right-hander broke in with the Yankees, and New York is one of multiple teams that desperately needs a reliable starter.

"Whatever is going to happen is going to happen," said Nova, who is eligible for free agency at the end of the season. "I want to stay here. If I get traded, OK, but it's nothing I'm anticipating or asking for."

On the offensive side, Jose Abreu has seemingly been available for the last four years and has always stuck with the White Sox.

Also eligible for free agency at the end of the year, Abreu is almost assured of staying with the Sox because he wouldn't bring much back as a rental.

Hahn also has strongly hinted Abreu is in line for a new contract at season's end.

Outfielders Leury Garcia and Jon Jay might be traded, and teams looking for catching help can probably get Welington Castillo for a modest price.