The Chicago White Sox added veteran outfielder Jake Cave on Monday, acquiring him from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash considerations.
The deal came after the official trade deadline had passed, a timing that is possible only because Cave spent the entire 2026 season on a minor-league contract and was never added to Tampa Bay’s major-league roster.
That status allowed the clubs to complete the transaction before the September 1 cutoff, keeping him eligible for the postseason even if he remains in a non-roster role for now.
Cave’s path to this latest stop began more than a decade earlier. The New York Yankees selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft out of Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Virginia.
He spent years working his way through the Yankees’ farm system, showing enough promise to reach Triple-A before New York designated him for assignment in March 2018. Minnesota acquired him days later in a trade for pitcher Luis Gil.
Cave made his major-league debut with the Twins on May 19, 2018, and immediately announced himself by homering in his first game. He spent five seasons in Minnesota, then moved on to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023 and the Colorado Rockies in 2024.
Across 523 big-league games he compiled a .236 batting average, 45 home runs and 176 RBI. After the Rockies let him go following the 2024 season, Cave spent 2025 in South Korea with the Doosan Bears, hitting .299 with 16 homers.
He began 2026 in the Mexican League before signing a minor-league deal with the Rays in late June and reporting to Triple-A Durham.
The White Sox now give the 33-year-old left-handed hitter another chance to return to the majors.
For Chicago the move is a low-risk addition of outfield depth as the club prepares for September roster expansion. Cave can play all three outfield spots and has shown occasional power, particularly against right-handed pitching.
Whether he appears in a White Sox uniform this month or later will depend on injuries and performance, but the transaction itself underscores how organizations continue to look for experienced bats even after the traditional deadline.
Cave, once a Yankees prospect who first reached the majors eight years ago, is still chasing the next opportunity.
