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MLB Trade Deadline: White Sox Acquire Cubs Reliever Ryan Tepera In Trade

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hours after adding a new second baseman to the roster, the White Sox are bolstering their bullpen, acquiring righty Ryan Tepera from the crosstown rival Cubs, in exchange for lefty minor league pitcher Bailey Horn.

Tepera figures to serve as a setup man for closer Liam Hendriks. In 43 games with the Cubs this season, he has posted a 2.91 ERA, with 16 holds, 50 strikeouts, and only 12 walks in 43 1/3 innings.

With the White Sox holding a comfortable 8.5-game lead in the AL Central, adding to their bullpen was a clear priority for the organization as the trade deadline approaches. Thought to be one of their biggest strengths headed into the season, their bullpen hasn't lived up to expectations it would be one of the best in MLB in 2021.

Entering Thursday, the White Sox bullpen had a 4.10 ERA, ranked 15th in MLB, according to Fangraphs.

To make room for Tepera on the roster, the White Sox placed reliever Evan Marshall on the 60-day injured list. Marshall has been out since late June with a strained right flexor pronator in his elbow.

Horn, 23, was a fifth-round draft pick for the White Sox in 2020. He has a 5.63 ERA and 1.33 WHIP, with 45 strikeouts and 18 walks in 38 1/3 innings in 14 games, 10 of them starts, across two minor league levels with the low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and the high-A Winston-Salem Dash this season. MLB Pipeline had ranked him as the No. 23 prospect for the White Sox. He's now the No. 30 prospect for the Cubs.

The White Sox's acquisition of Tepera comes just hours after they picked up second baseman Cesar Hernandez from the Indians in exchange for Double-A pitcher Konnor Pilkington.

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