The White Sox announced on Sunday that the club traded lefty reliever Zach Duke to the Cardinals in exchange for minor league outfielder Charlie Tilson.
Duke, 33, has been a workhorse for the White Sox, entering Sunday’s action having appeared in a major league-high 53 games. He compiled a 2.63 ERA with a 42/16 K/BB ratio in 37 2/3 innings. While Duke has handled lefty batters better, he doesn’t have enough of a platoon split that would deter the Cardinals from using him in full-inning stints.
Tilson, 23, was rated the Cardinals’ 12th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline. MLB Pipeline now rates Tilson as the fifth-best prospect in the White Sox system. In his first taste of Triple-A action with Memphis, Tilson hit .282/.345/.407 with 28 extra-base hits, 34 RBI, 53 runs, and 15 stolen bases in 395 plate appearances. He could get a taste of the majors when rosters expand in September.
