The White Sox announced a slew of non-roster invitations to Major League Spring Training today, including minor league deals with right-hander Chris Volstad, left-hander T.J. House and corner infielder Matt Skole. (The Sox also confirmed their previously reported minor league agreements with free agents Rob Scahill, Michael Ynoa and Patrick Leonard.)
Volstad, 31, will return to the South Siders after making a return to the Majors with them in 2017. The former Marlins right-hander had pitched just 10 1/3 innings in the Majors since the conclusion of the 2012 campaign but was called upon for a pair of starts and four relief appearances with the Sox, totaling 19 1/3 innings with a 4.66 ERA and a 10-to-5 K/BB ratio. This will be the third straight season that Volstad has spent in the ChiSox system, as he also pitched for their Triple-A affiliate in 2016.
House, meanwhile, should be somewhat familiar with the Sox having faced them often as a member of the Indians from 2014-16. Shoulder troubles slowed House’s career in 2015, and he’s scarcely appeared in the Majors since. House, 28, did enjoy a healthy season with the Blue Jays after a Spring Training scare in which he was struck in the head by a line drive. He recovered and went on to make 24 starts for Triple-A Buffalo, where he posted a 4.32 ERA with 7.3 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 in 133 1/3 innings of work. He also logged a pair of innings for Toronto in the Majors in August before being outrighted back to Buffalo.
Skole, also 28, has never appeared in the Majors. The former Nationals farmhand was considered one of the organization’s best prospects after a massive 2012 season in A-ball, but his 2013 campaign was cut short in a collision at first base that left him with a broken wrist and a torn UCL in his non-throwing elbow. Skole has played three full seasons in the upper levels of the minor since that time but has never rediscovered the form he showed in that promising 2012 campaign. He’s a career .238/.332/.444 hitter in parts of three Triple-A seasons.
i had Skole pegged for Minnesota.
I enjoyed that one!!
Skole Twins!
Can’t believe Volstad is only 31. He was definitely rushed to the majors at 21 without ever pitching at AAA. Wonder if he would have had more success if Florida would have let him develop longer.
Chris Volstad doesn’t age, there’s something fishy going on here.
Are these the players the Brewers are going to trade for?
Insurance for AAA and in case of injury to the MLB roster. All teams do this and the rebuilding White Sox are no exception. Occasionally lightning strikes as in the case of Anthony Swarzak last season.
Yep. I don’t think any of these guys will turn into a success like Searzak did, but they should be inviting plenty of non roster guys to Spring training. They did a great job in getting Ryan Cordell out of a no risk signing
Sox are buying cheap lotto tickets. Anthony Swarzak was a 2017 ticket that paid off in a decent prospect. No baseball asset is more liquid than a bullpen guy who has an impressive first half of a season. Rick, keep it up, find more guys who have a glimmer of hope to put it together this year.
Chris Volstad was traded by the Marlins, to the Cubs for Carlos Zambrano in a 1-for-1 swap, on January 5, 2012.
Like Volstad, Big Z is also seemingly ageless. (36 years old)
T J House is going to use this year into a nice trade chip at the deadline then getting a multi year contract book it