Headlines

  • Mariners, Dylan Moore Agree to Three-Year Extension
  • Orioles To Decline Five-Year Lease Extension At Camden Yards, Seeking Longer-Term Agreement With Maryland Stadium Authority
  • Blue Jays Sign Chad Green
  • Rays Extend Yandy Diaz
  • Dexter Fowler Announces Retirement
  • Mets Sign Jeff McNeil To Four-Year Extension
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

White Sox Sign Zach Duke

By Steve Adams | November 18, 2014 at 12:36pm CDT

12:36pm: The White Sox have announced the signing of Duke to a three-year, $15MM contract. Duke will earn $4.5MM in 2015, $5MM in 2016 and $5.5MM in 2017, according to the team’s release.

11:45am: Duke’s contract is a multi-year deal, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

11:36am: The White Sox will announce the signing of left-handed reliever Zach Duke later today, reports Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link). The 31-year-old Duke is a client of Relativity Sports.

Zach Duke

Duke quietly had a dominant season in the Brewers’ bullpen in 2014, pitching to an electric 2.45 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 57.7 percent ground-ball rate. Opposing lefties hit just .198/.267/.302 against Duke last year, though righties couldn’t figure him out either, mustering a mere .242/.288/.298 against the well-traveled lefty.

Duke first surfaced in the Majors with the Pirates in 2005, finishing fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting on the strength of a sparkling 1.81 ERA in 84 1/3 innings out of the Pirates’ rotation. He made 145 starts for the Bucs over the next five seasons, twice reaching 200 innings, but Duke was never able to replicate that early success and served as an innings eater with Pittsburgh in the rotation, posting a pedestrian 4.80 ERA in 879 2/3 frames.

Following his stint with the Pirates, Duke bounced around from the D’Backs to the Nats to the Reds before landing on his feet with the Brewers and turning in his brilliant season. With Milwaukee, Duke’s velocity stepped up a tick to an average of 89.7 mph, and he began to throw more sliders and more curveballs at the expense of his changeup and four-seam fastball. With the Brewers, he relied primarily on a two-seamer, his slider and his curve, and he also dropped his arm slot to feature more of a sidearm delivery. He’ll look to continue to benefit from those adjustments in a White Sox bullpen that had a strong need for lefty arms.

Duke will slot into manager Robin Ventura’s bullpen and quickly become the top left-handed option, with Scott Snodgress and Eric Surkamp currently representing the only other southpaws on the team’s 40-man roster. He’ll join the returning Jake Petricka, Daniel Webb, Javy Guerra, Zach Putnam. Nate Jones underwent Tommy John surgery in July. That young group is largely unproven, and reports have indicated that the Sox would be on the lookout for multiple bullpen arms, so it won’t be a surprise to see GM Rick Hahn pursue further bullpen upgrades.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Share 76 Retweet 135 Send via email1

Chicago White Sox Newsstand Transactions Zach Duke

Sandoval Has Discussed Five-Year Deal With Red Sox, Giants
Main
Astros, Alex Presley Avoid Arbitration
View Comments (48)

Comments

  1. PatrickBateman

    8 years ago

    Good start to the offseason

    Reply
    • Steven

      8 years ago

      I like this move, likely a 2 year deal for reasonable money as well. A solid, shrewd move

      Reply
  2. bighurt0220

    8 years ago

    Great signing…of course we need to know the details ($$$) to make a true analysis but this is a great start for the rebuilding of the White Sox bullpen!

    Reply
    • tom

      8 years ago

      i could see somewhere around a 2 year 8-10 mil

      Reply
  3. Jonah Cabral

    8 years ago

    Excellent signing for our bullpen.

    Reply
  4. Ryan Zeitz

    8 years ago

    Drat! Was hoping for a ninja move by AA. Jays NEED bullpen help this offseason

    Reply
    • EzRider

      8 years ago

      Same here as a Mets fan. We needed another lefty in the pen.

      Reply
  5. tom

    8 years ago

    he really turned himself around since he was in washington, well deserved for zach

    Reply
  6. Jerry Mandering

    8 years ago

    He was great last season, nice under the radar move. Still think they pursue Thatcher and Gregerson, this bullpen needs all the help it can get.

    Reply
  7. Billy Leager

    8 years ago

    I was really hoping the O’s would sign him to replace Miller. Good signing for the White Sox.

    Reply
  8. WhoKilledTheRallyMonkey

    8 years ago

    What did Zack Duke do differently in 2014? At age 31, with a 88 MPH FB and a career 5.0 k/9, Duke posted a career best 11.4 k/9 and a FIP of 2.14,

    Reply
    • Guest

      8 years ago

      More control, better mechanics?

      Reply
    • Billy Leager

      8 years ago

      Threw his curveball more, and he also used different arm slots. He also uses a sinker to keep the ball on the ground, which paired with a good defensive team is a good thing.

      Reply
      • WhoKilledTheRallyMonkey

        8 years ago

        Good point! Duke nearly doubled his curve-ball and slider usage while cutting down on his 4 seam FB and change-up

        Reply
    • tom

      8 years ago

      i think its also the point that he isnt a starter anymore, he struggled doing that

      Reply
      • WhoKilledTheRallyMonkey

        8 years ago

        Duke stopped starting in 2011

        Reply
        • tom

          8 years ago

          i know, thus thats when he turned it around, he didnt do anything in the majors except a few games with the nats until he got to the brewers, had a lot of time in the minors to fix it

    • First Bleed

      8 years ago

      He met Rick Kranitz.

      Reply
    • wkkortas

      8 years ago

      Those triple-slash lines against right-handers aren’t exactly in line with his career numbers.

      Reply
  9. Ralph Esposito

    8 years ago

    Awesome! I believe we will still get possibly Gorzelanny or Cotts and Gregerson. Yesterday Rick Hahn talked about getting a veteran clubhouse leader. First free agent to come to mind is Torii Hunter.

    Reply
    • DTM1001

      8 years ago

      Going forward, I’d be down with Gregerson and Adam LaRoche. Maybe Cotts for nostalgic’s sake.

      Reply
      • Jerry Mandering

        8 years ago

        This. LaRoche seems to be the only lefty power bat/DH option left that won’t cost an arm and a leg and actually produced last season. Need to get Abreu some protection.

        Reply
  10. Benjamin Orr

    8 years ago

    Sad to see him go, I really liked him in Milwaukee’s bullpen. Best of luck to him in Chicago though.

    Reply
  11. DTM1001

    8 years ago

    Nice signing…still would like the Sox to get Miller and/or Gregerson to fill out the pen.

    Reply
  12. Rick

    8 years ago

    something to talk about finally this offseason as a sox fan

    Reply
    • PatrickBateman

      8 years ago

      There’s been plenty of speculation so far just nothing concrete until now.

      Reply
    • tom

      8 years ago

      well i mean the offseason literally just started 😉

      Reply
  13. dave

    8 years ago

    Cardinals could have used him… time to get Miller!

    Reply
  14. Hoosierdaddy92

    8 years ago

    Shoot. This was the main guy I was hoping the Tigers would get.

    Reply
  15. Seamaholic

    8 years ago

    He has small sample bullpen variability written all over him. As in, “you sure this is the same guy who pitched so well last year? What the heck happened?”

    Reply
  16. tom

    8 years ago

    its for three years 15 million per reports

    Reply
  17. Chiburgh

    8 years ago

    3 years, 15 million

    Reply
  18. Matt Wease

    8 years ago

    Jones underwent back surgery in May and Tommy John due to a setback in July. He’s a non-factor until at least mid season.

    edit: Original said April and June respectively.

    Reply
    • Steve Adams

      8 years ago

      Oh man, I completely spaced on Jones’ TJ surgery. Thanks for that correction. Fixed in the post.

      Reply
  19. Bob Bunker

    8 years ago

    If Duke gets 15 million Miller must be getting at least 35 million.

    Reply
  20. Ryan

    8 years ago

    Somewhere in America, Andrew Miller is rubbing his thumbs and his middle and pointer finger together, saying “cha ching” over and over again. He is getting at least 4 years 35 million now. This is definitely an overpay for Duke.

    Reply
    • disadvantage

      8 years ago

      Now all I can picture is Andrew Miller’s wife walking into a room and seeing him continuously rubbing his fingers together going “cha ching”, then walking away shaking her head.

      Reply
  21. Douglas Rau

    8 years ago

    So if Duke gets this, how much is Andrew Miller going to command? $6, 7 million per year?

    Reply
    • disadvantage

      8 years ago

      David Robertson money.

      Reply
  22. Tikay

    8 years ago

    Zack Duke was a nice bullpen arm, but he wasn’t a shutdown guy. Not worth a 3 year commitment. Good luck with this one White Sox. Paying $5mil for a player who can’t close or setup seems pretty steep.

    As a Brewers fan I am happy they let him go. Easy to replace a player like Duke who is surely to regress.

    Reply
    • Light_tower_power

      8 years ago

      “Easy to replace a player like Duke who is surely to regress” Tell the Detroit Tigers it easy to find bullpen arms

      Reply
      • Tikay

        8 years ago

        Seeing the Brewers picked up Duke for nothing last year I would have confidence. Some teams are able to go get bullpen arms while some just can’t.

        Also isn’t Detroit’s problem mainly closing? Big difference between Duke and a closer.

        Reply
      • disadvantage

        8 years ago

        Well, Detroit’s plan for their bullpen is to stockpile as many washed up closers as possible, which can either work out really good or really bad.

        Reply
  23. Ryan Wedemeijer

    8 years ago

    I think that this is a lot of money for a reliever that struggled to a 6.03 Era a year ago and has been up and down in his career. But if he can resemble what he did this season, this could be a really solid move.

    Reply
  24. Kevin Chambers

    8 years ago

    Way to much money

    Reply
  25. cookmeister

    8 years ago

    Holy smokes. I’m teaching my son to throw left handed

    Reply
  26. Danny

    8 years ago

    Mets should have signed Duke! Guess we’ll be dumpster-diving again.

    Reply
  27. Jerry Mandering

    8 years ago

    That’s a lot of money. But that’s how things have been going so far this offseason. Andrew Miller’s gonna be getting Papelbon money.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Mariners, Dylan Moore Agree to Three-Year Extension

    Orioles To Decline Five-Year Lease Extension At Camden Yards, Seeking Longer-Term Agreement With Maryland Stadium Authority

    Blue Jays Sign Chad Green

    Rays Extend Yandy Diaz

    Dexter Fowler Announces Retirement

    Mets Sign Jeff McNeil To Four-Year Extension

    Red Sox, Marlins Swap Matt Barnes For Richard Bleier

    Darren O’Day Announces Retirement

    Royals To Re-Sign Zack Greinke

    Braves Extend Manager Brian Snitker Through 2025

    Rays Sign Pete Fairbanks To Extension

    Royals Sign Aroldis Chapman To One-Year Deal

    Athletics Sign Jesús Aguilar

    Orioles Acquire Cole Irvin From A’s

    Astros Name Dana Brown General Manager

    Rays Extend Jeffrey Springs

    Royals, Red Sox Swap Adalberto Mondesi For Josh Taylor

    Red Sox Designate Matt Barnes For Assignment

    Scott Rolen Elected Into Baseball Hall Of Fame

    Red Sox Sign Adam Duvall

    Recent

    The Dodgers’ Outfield Gambles

    Mariners, Dylan Moore Agree to Three-Year Extension

    Cal Raleigh Underwent Offseason Thumb Surgery

    Orioles To Decline Five-Year Lease Extension At Camden Yards, Seeking Longer-Term Agreement With Maryland Stadium Authority

    Red Sox Notes: Barnes, Bleier, Paxton, Bello, Pivetta

    Extension Candidate: Dylan Cease

    Mariners Win Arbitration Case Against Diego Castillo

    Mariners, Kyle Tyler Agree To Minor League Contract

    Dodgers Move Danny Lehmann To Bench Coach

    MLBTR Chat Transcript

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Offseason Outlook Series
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • MLB Player Chats
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version