MAY 13: The White Sox announced today (Twitter link) that they have placed Danks on unconditional release waivers.
MAY 3: The White Sox are set to designate starter John Danks for assignment, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports on Twitter. The 31-year-old left-hander is in the final season of a five-year, $65MM contract and is set to earn $15.75MM this season — a sum that the White Sox will simply eat in order to free up Danks’ spot on the roster. Chicago will have 10 days to trade or release Danks, though even if the team were to eat a considerable portion of the salary, it’s tough to imagine Danks drawing much interest at this point.
In 22 1/3 innings (four starts) this season, Danks has allowed 18 earned runs on 28 hits and 11 walks with 16 strikeouts and a career-worst 30.1 percent ground-ball rate. Danks’ fastball, which used to sit in the 91-92 mph range, is averaging just 87.1 mph this season. That’s simply the latest decline in velocity for Danks, whose career has never fully recovered from 2012 shoulder surgery.
Danks was a standout performer in the Chicago rotation in his early 20s, and the $65MM contract extension seemed like a justified cost following a four-year stretch that saw the former No. 9 overall pick throw 778 2/3 innings of 3.77 ERA ball in one of Major League Baseball’s most hitter-friendly environments. Danks, though, would pitch just 53 2/3 innings in 2012, the first season covered by his extension. Since returning from the surgery, he’s worked to a combined 4.84 ERA in 538 2/3 innings.
General manager Rick Hahn is addressing the media as we speak and has announced that right-hander Erik Johnson will join Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon and Mat Latos in the Chicago rotation (via USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, on Twitter). Hahn says that he informed Danks of the decision yesterday and called the decision a difficult one to make. While Danks’ production, of course, has dipped since that 2012 surgery, he’s been a member of the White Sox organization since late 2006, when he was acquired in a trade that sent right-hander Brandon McCarthy to the Rangers. That lengthy tenure has made Danks a well-liked fixture in the Chicago clubhouse, and Nightengale tweets that Hahn acknowledged that the move will not be a popular one among the players. Hahn, however, insists that the move would have been made even if the 18-8 White Sox’ record were reversed.
The dismissal of Danks marks the second time in the past six weeks or so that the Sox have seen a respected veteran depart from the clubhouse. First baseman/designated hitter Adam LaRoche, of course, infamously elected to retire after White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams asked him to reduce the frequency with which his son accompanied him to the ball park. (LaRoche was said to have been promised unlimited access for his son as a contingent of signing with the Sox.) However, a club striving to win now, as the Sox are, is often forced into this type of decision. Johnson’s solid performance at Triple-A in both 2015 and in 2016 has played a role in the decision as well; the 26-year-old former Top 100 prospect has a 3.74 ERA in 21 2/3 innings this season and worked to an excellent 2.37 ERA in 132 2/3 innings with Charlotte last season.
About time.
Like the move, but I Wonder who the replacement will be. Can the chisox be ok with 4 starters for a couple weeks?
Miguel Gonzalez, Erik Johnson, Chris beck are all options. I’d say too soon for Carson Fulmer, no need to rush him up.
Erik Johnson is starting Thursday.
Maybe Buehrle is driving up from Misery.
Erik Johnson, among many many others for the Sox, they’ll be fine. Until Latos blows up of course
Yes, because he’s been such a miserable pitcher his entire career… I’m sure he’ll “blow up” any day now, of course.
Look at his numbers the last two years, he’s been horrible.
You need to be a heck of a lot more specific if you’re going to make claims like that.
Last year was arguably the worst year of his career, and he still managed a 3.72FIP while bouncing around multiple organizations. The year before, he pitched to a 3.65FIP coming off knee surgery (while arguably rushing back too early). If those numbers are “horrible” to you, than your standards are EXTREMELY high.
I’ll be the first one to tell you that you’re being unrealistic if you expect him to keep up with this pace all year, but to assume he’ll “blow up” is just as unrealistic.
Dodgers fans witnessed him blowing up every time he took the mound last year. I’m sure he’ll be fine all year in that park though. 🙂
They’ve basically been going with 4 starters for the last 5 or so years; I don’t see how a few weeks will make much of a difference. They can throw out literally any pitcher in their system and likely have just as good of a chance as they did with Danks.
I put it at a 5:1 they sign Timmy now
a right handed version of Frank’s
Danks
signing him would merely replace Johnson as the depth option in the minors not the no.5 spot in the rotation. He would still have to beat out Miguel, Beck, and Fulmer when he’s ready. Adding depth is needed and with Danks gone it most likely will happen
FYI Lincecum has never been as ugly as Danks, ever. Danks across the board never deserved to be a SP in the majors
“Danks across the board never deserved to be a SP in the majors”
Not even close to true unless you’re solely focusing on his post-injury career.
It only took the sox a few years to figure out Danks was shot. They now have a true shot at the division as long as Ventura doesn’t have to do much managing.
That why they hired Rick Renteria
As Hawk said, Jerry Reinsdorf is not about to cede the spotlight in Chicago to the Cubs. This is a signal they are serious.
Why does anyone care what HAWK says?!?!?
Nobody cares what he says! He’s an annoying old announcer who must have pictures of Reinsdorf. And thanks to Williams for that contract he gave Danks. The sox are full of buffoons outside of the playing field.
P.S. I was hoping Williams would have gone to Toronto. But, they were too smart to hire him.
Doesn’t matter what Hawk says. Jerry doesn’t have a choice but to “cede spotlight” to the Cubs. They Cubs are the best team in baseball, and pack 30,000 every home game. The Cell probably hasn’t passed 25,000 since opening day. Maybe if sox fans showed up, they’d care a whole lot more about winning on the south side
@cubsfan2489 Hardly. The Cubs are the best team in a league where 2/3 of the teams aren’t trying to make the playoffs. They’re good…even really, really good…but there’s probably five AL teams I’d take ahead of them.
Please name them!!!
AL is the weakest they’ve even been this year
I don’t nowhere you get 2/3 is not trying to make playoffs.
I applaud this move. It’s unfortunate because he was liked and respected by his teammates. The problem is he no longer has the stuff or velocity to be a starting pitcher anymore. Just not enough quality starts to justify keeping him in the rotation.
Well liked and respected for his toughness on the mound. Just not enough quality starts to justify keeping him in the rotation. The team got a little stronger today, so I applaud this move.
Sox fans thank Adam LaRoche for providing the “financial flexibility” to help make this move happen.
Was difficult watching opposing teams take batting practice every 5th day for the past few years.
Amen, brother. Been waiting for this day for a long time. Momentum is important for a championship team and ya can’t get good momentum going with a pitcher like Danks in the rotation.
maybe the braves sign danks after hes cleared waivers and rebuild him for a trade piece at the deadline. I could see danks in the bullpen.
Ha – I just got done talking about this exact idea on my show. He’d be throwing to two familiar gloves in AJ and Flowers. Guys that know him from when he had good stuff.
I don’t see how that’d make any difference. He hasn’t had that good stuff in a looooong time, and he pitched to Flowers almost that entire time. Neither one of them will make a difference – he’s done (and has been for a while).
Yeah but he has had good stuff in the past and those guys may be able to help him find what’s missing. He may still have an opportunity as a reliever if he can figure it out. Colby Lewis (albeit, still a starter) has seen his velocity reduce with each year but is still an effective enough pitcher
Can they give him a new shoulder? That’s what’s missing.
And if Tyler Flowers could help him find what’s missing, why didn’t he do it over the past 3 years? Because he can’t. What’s “missing” is gone for good.
What are you smoking?
Ya that sure worked for him the last 3 years. NOT! The catching has nothing to do with it. He has sucked.
I would love to see danks sign with another team and have success. I wish him good luck, even though he struggled post surgery, he still gave it his all. It just wasnt working for the white sox for him to take the ball every 5th game. I remember when danks and gavin floyd had that great year and looked like the co-aces of the future for the white sox.
Tab Frankie Montas?
Frankie Montas went to the Dodgers in the Frazier deal.
He’s with the Dodgers now. Went over in the Todd Frazier deal.
I wish the sox still had trayce thompson. I love frazier, just wish we could have gave them any other prospect.
LOL…so you’d rather have the solid backup than a prospect who could be more? I mean, if you really want a Trayce type presence on the team, you can likely get one on the waiver wire over the course of the season.
Well, anyways…. Danks for the memories, John.
Ya. They’ve all been bad for the last 3 years
Orioles should sign lincecum not the sox because lincecum would be all but guranteed a spot in the Orioles starting 5
I wonder if the Dodgers add him as a reclamation project. God I hope not
Trayce thompson for danks? I can dream right haha
Danks for nothing.
Hear that, Beane? You can drop Butler any time you want to now….you definitely can replace him with minimum wage/more offense Renato Nunez any second you like.
I’m hoping the A’s trade Butler to the Braves, solely for an extra solid draft pick.
Beane will get his financial relief, and the Braves will get another early draft pick, which they could use to add towards building a top 3 farm system…
Definitely would look like a win-win for bother teams!
I do however have one slight hesitation, and that is if this trade proposal would hinder the Braves from going all out on this year’s International market, then I would definitely pass on the trade….
If it does go through, then the Braves would either simply release Butler, or offer him up for a Low-A reclamation project, or a Low-A bullpen arm. Most likely though, no one would give up anything for Butler, so the Braves would probably just end up eating the money and releasing him.
With Kelly Johnson providing a better depth option at 1B for when Freeman needs a day off, they would simply have no use for Butler. Although, that kind of goes without say. lol…Most teams would not have a spot on their roster for what is left of Butler, unfortunately…
I think the White Sox are going to be fine. Miguel Gonzelez will go for a while and if he doesn’t return to his 2014 form, we will go with Erik Johnson. Even if Johnson struggles, Anthony Raunado, Jacob Turner, Chris Beck, Scott Carroll and Chris Volstad are replacement level options. I would love to see Buehrle back or sign Lincecum but no need to panic unless Q or Sale get injured. I just want a solid number 5 hitter, preferably lefty, that can hit, take walks, and mash homers. That’s the missing piece.
Reddick or Cargo?