Chris Getz’s phone is buzzing.
“I get peppered regularly,” he said.
On the line: fellow general managers from contending teams, looking to pluck from the stash of White Sox players Getz could deal before the July 30 trade deadline.
“I would say it’s picked up even more recently,” Getz said before the Sox opened a three-game home series with a 2-0 win over the Astros on Tuesday night. “And I would expect it not to slow down. Which is OK.”
At 3 p.m., Getz said he’d had conversations earlier in the day and expected more later in the day.
“We continue to want to build this organization back, [and] one of the better avenues to doing so could be on the trade front,” he said.
The biggest chip is center fielder Luis Robert Jr., but it would take a haul for the Sox to part with him. There’s also left-hander Garrett Crochet, who’s on a path to the All-Star Game in his first season as a starter.
“The unlikeliness [of a Robert deal] is really, does an organization have the willingness and what it takes to acquire some of the talent we have? And obviously, Luis is one of those players that is such a unique talent,” said Getz, who added the same might be said for Crochet.
“Luis Robert comes back to the lineup, and [there’s] not only the production that you see with him but also the impact it has on others in the lineup, and certainly on the defensive side, he’s a game-changer in so many different ways. An inquiring team would have to bring something that is pretty significant for us to move on some of these guys.”
Getz said dangling Dylan Cease during the offseason and into spring training helped familiarize him with other GMs in his first year at the helm.
The Sox’ farm system is deeper on pitching than position players, but that won’t preclude Getz from acquiring more pitching, which can be used as capital to acquire position players, if needed.
“Our priority is bringing in talent to the organization, whether it be on the pitching side or the position-player side,” he said.
Moncada, Eloy, Clevinger updates
Third baseman Yoan Moncada, out with a strained adductor since April 9, could be back around the All-Star break, Getz said.
“We do feel that he’s turned a corner and [is] working towards more game activity,” Getz said.
Outfielder Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) could return from a minor-league rehab assignment next week.
Right-hander Mike Clevinger (elbow inflammation) allowed two runs over three innings and 55 pitches in a rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte and likely will have one more before being reinstated.
More zeros for Cannon
Right-handed starter Jonathan Cannon (1-1) pitched 8 2/3 innings against the Astros for his first major-league victory after entering with one earned run allowed in his previous 10 innings. The Sox scored both their runs on grounders by Andrew Vaughn, both fielder’s choices.
Cannon allowed seven hits and one walk and struck out four batters before he was replaced by John Brebbia after a pair of two-out, ground ball singles in the ninth.
“I’ll definitely never forget this night,” said Cannon, who threw 106 pitches after throwing 104 in his last start.
Brebbia got Victor Caratini on a ground ball to first to end the game.
“I just go until they tell me to stop throwing,” Cannon said. “I was going to keep going until [Grifol] came over and shook my hand.”
Cannon is the first Sox rookie to pitch at least 8 2/3 innings since Zach Stewart shut out the Twins in 2011.
