On Monday, right-hander Michael Kopech was traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a complicated three-team trade that brought a haul of prospects to Chicago's South Side. It's an upgrade for Kopech from a competitive perspective; the Dodgers are one of the top favorites to win the World Series this year while the White Sox have suffered two separate 14-game losing streaks so far.
But it's still a sad moment for a player to leave his team, especially in cases like Kopech, who has spent the last eight years in the White Sox organization. Leaving connections with teammates behind can be tough and baseball players must find a way to deal with it. In the case of Kopech and his teammates in the Chicago bullpen, it took the form of a solemn yet hilarious farewell circle in which everybody literally poured one out for the departing reliever.
