The White Sox announced Friday that outfielder Brian Goodwin, right-hander Evan Marshall, right-hander Jimmy Cordero and left-hander Jace Fry have cleared outright waivers and been removed from the 40-man roster. All four will become free agents. Chicago has also selected the contract of left-hander Anderson Severino from Triple-A Charlotte, bringing their current 40-man roster to a total of 34 players.
Signed to a minor league deal during the season, the veteran Goodwin was quickly brought to the big league club as the Sox found themselves reeling from injuries to Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert. While Goodwin’s overall .221/.319/.374 batting line doesn’t stand out, he played a vital role in stabilizing the outfield mix over the summer, and that end-of-season line was dragged down by a pronounced slump late in the year. From mid-June through mid-August, when the Sox’ outfield need was at is peak, Goodwin turned in a .246/.331/.465 batting line through 161 plate appearances, chipping in seven homers, eight doubles and a triple.
Unfortunately, things went south in a hurry. Goodwin hit just .183/.300/.237 in his final 110 plate appearances, ceding at-bats to both Robert and Jimenez as they returned from injury. Goodwin, who turned 31 earlier this week, will head back to the free-agent market as a lifetime .244/.318/.440 hitter in 1395 plate appearances between the Nats, Angels, Royals, Reds and ChiSox.
Marshall, also 31, is set for Tommy John surgery this week and will likely miss the entire 2022 season, so it’s no surprise to see the Sox remove him from the roster. It’s possible they’ll look to re-sign him to a minor league pact so he can rehab with the team but not occupy a 40-man spot all winter, though he’ll have the opportunity to talk with other clubs now.
A minor-league signee after being cut loose by Cleveland following the 2018 season, Marshall pitched well with the ChiSox from 2019-20, notching to a 2.45 ERA with a 23.5% strikeout rate and against a 10.3% walk rate. He struggled to an ERA of 5.60 in 27 1/3 innings this season, however, before going on the injured list and eventually being diagnosed with a ligament tear that will necessitate that Tommy John procedure.
The 30-year-old Cordero underwent Tommy John surgery himself this year but did so way back in March, meaning he’ll likely be ready early in the 2022 season. The 6’4″, 240-pound righty had a nice run with the 2019 Sox after they picked him up off waivers, notching a 2.75 ERA in 36 frames. That ERA jumped to 6.08 in 2020, however, thanks in no small part to a sky-high .352 average on balls in play and a fluky 59.6% strand rate. (Cordero’s 3.87 FIP was more than two runs lower than his ERA.) Cordero hasn’t found much MLB success yet, but he boasts a career 97.8 mph average on his heater and ought to find several clubs interested in a minor league deal/Spring Training invite.
Fry, 28, posted a 4.43 ERA and punched out 29.6% of his opponents in 126 frames for the White Sox from 2018-20, but back surgery limited him to just 6 2/3 innings this season — during which time he allowed eight runs. Fry has little issue missing bats but has walked an untenable 14% of the opponents he’s faced in the big leagues. Still, a lefty who sits around 93 mph with his heater and can punch out roughly 30% of his opponents should find teams willing to take a look this winter, assuming he’s back up to full strength.
Severino, 27, could’ve become a minor league free agent were he not added to the team’s 40-man roster. He signed a minor league pact after spending the 2014-20 seasons in the Yankees organization and gave the White Sox 45 2/3 innings of 2.36 ERA ball with a 27.3% strikeout rate but a bloated 16.5% walk rate between Double-A and Triple-A. His walk rate did improve upon moving up to Triple-A, and the hard-throwing southpaw certainly missed plenty of bats. Rather than let him pursue a deal with another club, the Sox will carry him on the 40-man roster, making him an option out of the bullpen at any point next season.
I’m surprised a bad team wouldn’t take a shot at Fry, if for no other reason than to try and sneak him through waivers themselves.
Yeah – a little surprised as well. His consistent control issues have been maddening, but if harnessed he could excel as he is extremely difficult to hit.
Big Hurt: You just describe half the pitchers in Triple A. At 28yo, and his career stats (88 ERA+, 1.47 WHIP), Im not seeing much value. Minus 19 innings in Covid shortened 2020, his 5yr career has been downright lousy. I see a minor league invite.
Denny – right, but the slight difference here is that Fry actually did harness some of those issues in 2018 with a FIP of 2.67 in 51 innings, along with a 1.11 WHIP and 12.3 K/9.
I’m not upset the Sox cut him, just saying he’s not that far removed from some success and could be successful with the right pitching coach… possibly.
Brian Goodwin is a good dude. Had some clutch home runs. Hope he can come back as a backup.
Goodwin is a good dude for sure. I can’t help but think he has naked photos of some top baseball execs and that’s the reason he keeps getting picked up. Nothing about his game stands out in a sea of OF talent. Good dude though.
Sorry, but Goodwin doesn’t belong on a 2022 World Series roster.
Sox will make a move for a new stud RF.
With Robert and Eloy healthy, and Vaughn/Garcia/Sheets/Hamilton platoon as backup OF… there is no room for Goodwin.
I heard there’s a guy named Shwarber lookin for work……..
Severino certainly looks like a prudent pickup by Hahn here
Not surprised by any.
I’m sure Fry will get picked up or possibly resigned by the CWS. No other surprises Severino throws hard but can’t find the plate, so he’s flip a coin type player.
It’s going to be Vaughn. He was solid in left field this year and made strides offensively. Sheets will DH and split first with Abreu until Abreu’s contract runs out. At that point, Sheets will probably take over first.
Not a bad thought; he’s a solid hitter, and his defense is getting better. Add some hungry-ness and you’ve got a young stud wanting to prove his worth.