White Sox Acquire Starting Pitcher From Pirates
The deal sends minor league right-hander Felix Doroteo to Pittsburgh in return.
The Pirates had designated Urquidy for assignment on Friday, and because he remained within the seven-day window, he was still eligible to be traded rather than being outrighted or released.
Why Chicago Made The Move
The White Sox have been one of baseball's best stories, improving to 55-49 and sitting atop the AL Central after a 12-3 win over the Astros just hours before the trade.
The surprise contenders are short on rotation experience, and with top prospect Noah Schultz struggling in his first taste of the majors, Urquidy could be in line for a call-up in relatively short order.
The Chicago White Sox have acquired right-handed pitcher José Urquidy from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for minor-league right-hander Félix Doroteo.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 27, 2026
Bringing in Urquidy and his roughly $500,000 in remaining salary is a low-cost way to bolster the pitching staff for an unexpected pennant race, with several White Sox pitchers approaching career highs in innings.
He profiles as a potential fifth starter or bulk bullpen option, though Chicago could still make a more prominent rotation addition before the August 3 deadline.
The Player
Urquidy, 31, has had a rough go at the MLB level this season, posting an 8.53 ERA over 6.1 relief innings with the Pirates and not pitching in a big league game since April.
The peripherals tell a kinder story, as his ERA was inflated by a .519 BABIP and a 44.9 percent strand rate across a tiny sample.
He has been far better at Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a 3.66 ERA with a 22 percent strikeout rate and a 5.4 percent walk rate over 17 starts and 83 innings, including a 1.74 ERA across his final six starts.
Urquidy signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Pittsburgh in February after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in 2024.
The former Astros starter owns a 27-17 record and 4.07 ERA over seven seasons and knows all about high-pressure baseball, having won a World Series title with Houston in 2022.
In return, the Pirates receive Doroteo, a 21-year-old right-hander in his first professional season who stands 6-foot-6 and features a fastball up to 96 mph.
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