Michael Kopech is cut loose from a White Sox team heading to a losing record of 121 and given a chance to help the Dodgers win the World Series. It's another form of torture for a legion of Chicago fans, especially since the trade that sent him to Los Angeles seemed so one-sided.

Kopech was dealt to the Dodgers in a three-team deal that also landed Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham in St. Louis. It was part of a downsizing move that saw Eloy Jimenez, Paul DeJong and Tanner Banks traded to contenders, saving the White Sox about $13 million in salary.

In the series of deals, which included Baltimore, Kansas City and Philadelphia in addition to the Cardinals and Dodgers, only one major league player was sent back to the White Sox. That was 24-year-old infielder Miguel Vargas, a career .175 hitter who batted .104 in 42 games while also being the Sox' primary third baseman.

Kopech has since been described as “a beast” by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. As the White Sox's closer, he struggled after being used primarily as a starting pitcher, but posted a 1.13 ERA in 24 regular-season games in the Dodgers' bullpen and reduced his WHIP from 1.351 in Chicago to 0.792 in Los Angeles.

Working with the Dodgers' analysts and trainers, Kopech threw a cut fastball instead of a slider to complement his triple-digit fastball. During the regular season, he held opponents to the cutter with a .174 batting average and threw it 120 times without recording an extra-base hit.

“The cutter is a pitch that I can just rip up a little bit more, like a fastball, and get through easier.”

Kopech told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. “I can throw it more into the strike zone with less action instead of trying to turn over a slider. I can find a spot for both of them, but that cutter plays well for me in the zone.”

The White Sox dealt Kopech despite having control of him through 2025. He is making $3 million this season.

It's unfair to consider the trade a flop for Sox general manager Chris Getz based on Vargas' performances in August and September. The key to the deal, from Getz's perspective, is youthful infielders Jeral Perez and Alexander Albertus, who are expected to be three years removed from the big leagues.

Perez and Albertus are interesting lottery tickets for a rebuilding team that is unlikely to compete before 2027. MLB.com ranks them as No. 13 and No. 14 on the team's prospect list.

Perez, a second baseman, was signed from the Dominican Republic in 2022 for $397,500. Scouts love his bat speed, which helped him hit big shots in his first season in the United States. After the trade, he hit .259 with a .775 OPS in 30 games with Class A Kannapolis.

At the time of the swap, Albertus had to sit out due to a stress fracture in his left shin. He is an unusually advanced hitter for his age, with a patient approach at the plate that has allowed him to walk 70 times and strike out 40 times in his first 85 games as a professional.

The Aruban native is more of a ballplayer than a toolbox, which is why the Dodgers were able to sign him for just $75,000. He gained strength after signing with the Dodgers, which raised expectations that he would eventually hit a high on-base rate with 15 to 20 home runs per year, according to MLB.com.

He has a stronger arm than Perez, which could put him in position to play third base if they advance to the minor leagues together. The White Sox would love to get a breakout season from one of them, if not both, next season.

Meanwhile, Kopech can take heart in the fact that he's just four wins away from being eligible for a World Series ring. He was popular in Chicago, so White Sox fans will likely rave about him while also envying the success he had in Los Angeles.