White Sox will employ closer-by-committee after trading Joakim Soria

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The White Sox will go with something of a closer-by-committee now that Joakim Soria has been dealt to the Brewers.

Manager Rick Renteria confirmed not long after the trade was completed Thursday that he is not necessarily looking for one pitcher to assume the role that Soria (2.56 ERA) used to pick up 16 saves in 19 opportunities.

“We have a couple of guys we have used to close out ballgames,’’ Renteria said before the series finale against the Angels. “One was Jace Fry a little bit earlier, but I’m not going to name a closer in particular. I think that we will try to see where we are at and see if we have situations where matchups present themselves.”

Renteria also mentioned right-hander Juan Minaya, who had nine saves in 2017, but he allowed three runs, two hits and two walks in only two-thirds of an inning. Right-hander Jeanmar Gomez had 37 saves with the Phillies in 2016.

Left-hander Luis Avilan doesn’t have any career saves, but he has loads of experience in seven major-league seasons, including 11 postseason appearances. But speculation has circulated that teams could be interested in Avilan as a lefty specialist.

“We lose a leader in the bullpen,” Avilan said of Soria.

“He helped get everybody loose down there. Everybody was relaxed. It was a really nice chemistry. I’ve been in really good bullpens throughout my career, but this one so far was the best in chemistry. It was a lot [because of] Soria.”

Moving day

Not only did the Sox make a trade but so did their opponents, the Angels.

They sent catcher Martin Maldonado to the Astros for left-hander Patrick Sandoval.

The moves had both clubhouses buzzing with more trade speculation. With a week left before the non-waiver deadline, trade rumors will persist and so will the distractions.

Avilan said there’s really only one way to handle it all.

“Honestly, I don’t really think about it,’’ Avilan said. ‘‘We talk about it, but just to make fun of us, like, ‘Yeah, you’re getting traded to the Bad News Bears,’ or something like that. But, honestly, whatever you are, you still have to do the same job, which is to get people out.”

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Back in the swing

Jose Abreu entered the four-game series with a .313 slugging percentage and a .246 on-base percentage in his previous 43 games before getting down to business.

Abreu hit a home run in Monday’s series opener, then hit his first double in 27 games on Wednesday night. His two home runs Thursday gave him two multihomer games this year and 13 in his career.

“Yes, personally it was a very satisfying series,” Abreu said. “I kind of got into my groove, obviously. I still think that I can do better, I can do more, but, yes, it was a step forward in this series for me.

‘‘I felt good with my swing, and I just want to get my whole groove in sync with my offense to help this team as much as I can.”

Abreu has 140 career homers, tied with Ron Kittle for 10th on the Sox’ all-time list.