The White Sox announced Monday that they’ve designated lefty Bennett Sousa for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to Elvis Andrus, whose previously reported one-year, $3MM deal with the team is now official.
Sousa, 27, made his big league debut in 2022 but struggled to an 8.31 ERA, yielding 19 runs on 25 hits and 10 walks with 12 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He’s posted sub-4.00 ERAs with big strikeout numbers and strong ground-ball rates in the upper minors over the past few seasons, but he’s also battled command issues more often than not. Sousa did post a tiny 5.3% walk rate in 22 2/3 innings of Triple-A work in 2021, but that number ballooned to 10.3% in a comparable sample this past season.
Sousa has a pair of minor league option years remaining, which could appeal to other clubs in need of some left-handed bullpen depth. He also averaged a solid 94.3 mph on his heater in the big leagues last year, and his 11.7% swinging-strike rate (and history of missing bats in the minors) suggests there could be improvement on the horizon for a dismal 12.5% strikeout rate.
The White Sox will have a week to trade Sousa, attempt to pass him through outright waivers, or release him.
He’s a lefty with a solid fastball. He’s going to be fine.
I was sort of hoping the Chisox would keep him and his ERA of 8.3.
He could clear. Who knows.
After much pomp and circumstance, it seems Stars and Stripes are not forever
I understand Sousa’s trying to get the band back together.
Outstanding with the moniker. Friend’s neighbor was Bart, and named his dog Homer
He’ll come back.
The White Sox will not “release” Sousa. They will attempt to trade him or outright him to AAA if he passes through waivers in the next 7 days. They need pitching ‘insurance’ for their MLB roster and at AAA.
who would have guessed matt gage got released last week? similar situation; lefty out of the pen, but gage has the better numbers (aaa and mlb) by far. im not saying hes likely to be released, but i get why the writer included it after the gage transaction feed
He’s not that guy.
Interesting that they didn’t move Hendriks or Crochet to the 60-day IL. Not that Sousa is anyone they really want to keep, but if they had options to keep him, why not?
I know they’ve said that they are hoping that Crochet will be able to rejoin the team by mid-May, but that is not far off from late-May when players placed on the 60-day at the start of the season would be eligible to return.
And maybe this means they are hopeful that Hendriks could return sometime before June. That would be amazing.
Or perhaps they are still planning to add another SP and will wait to act on Hendriks or Crochet until then.
They called him on the Sousa-phone to tell him.
I’m surprised they aren’t trumpeting this more.
Mets might want to get in on him. Lefty bullpen depth, with potential upside, and minor league options. Just what they’re supposedly looking for. Don’t know if he’s the answer but worth taking a look at.
I don’t know that anyone with an 8.21 ERA is worth looking at unless the pitching coach sees something in him that will bring out the best in him.
Look at Greg Maddux’s numbers in his first major league season and then get back to me on that
Numbers in the minors were strong. Probably was overthrowing when called up. I would not count him out yet at the major league level. Worth another look.
Sox will need a 5th starter by June 1st. Why they allow half the team to play WORLD Baseball Classic is not serious about winning division.
Lighten up Francis. Half the good players are participating in the WBC