Here are today’s minor moves from around the game.
- The Twins have selected the contract of lefty Aaron Thompson, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press tweets. Thompson will take the roster spot vacated when the Twins lost Sam Deduno to the Astros’ waiver claim. Thompson, 27, posted a 3.98 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 52 innings this season at Triple-A Rochester. The former Marlins first-round draft pick appeared briefly in the big leagues with the Pirates in 2011.
- The White Sox have selected the contract of pitcher Chris Bassitt from Double-A Birmingham, Fred B. Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The White Sox also optioned Scott Carroll to Triple-A Charlotte and recalled pitcher Eric Surkamp. Bassitt will start the second game of Chicago’s doubleheader against the Tigers tonight (against another pitcher making his big-league debut, Kyle Ryan). The 25-year-old Bassitt has pitched well in 34 2/3 innings at Birmingham this year, posting a 1.56 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.
I’m looking forward to seeing Chris Bassitt pitch. I’m wondering if he is someone they can teach to close? Maybe next year Sox can groom him and Daniel Webb for that role.
After seeing Webb pitch this season the Sox need to seriously rethink about Webb closing, or he would likely already be doing it now with their resolving door of closers. Bassitt looks like he is a starter and that is likely how the Sox will use him if Carroll is going to the minors (BTW, nice thinking by Hahn, to trade your closer for a 3rd base prospect that gives bleacher bums a nice cool breeze from all the swings and misses in the minors.) Reed is sorely missed. While not the best closer, he was good enough to have had the Sox at least looking better this year, if not competing, considering all the blown saves by the club this year.