The White Sox have selected the contracts of lefty Jake Eder and right-hander Cristian Mena, per a team announcement. Both are now protected from next month’s Rule 5 Draft. Chicago’s 40-man roster is now up to 37 players.
Eder, 25, is one of the organization’s top pitching prospects. The Sox picked up the former fourth-round pick from the Marlins in the deadline swap that sent corner infielder Jake Burger from Chicago to Miami. Eder, in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, pitched to a 3.94 ERA with a 30.6% strikeout rate in 29 1/3 Double-A frames prior to the swap but perhaps began to wear down late in the season after a lengthy layoff from pitching. He walked 15 hitters in 17 1/3 innings with the Sox following the trade and issued another 15 free passes in 17 2/3 innings of Arizona Fall League play.
Despite the shaky finish to the season, there’s little doubting Eder would’ve been selected in the Rule 5 Draft had he remained unprotected. The lefty ranked as baseball’s No. 62 overall prospect at FanGraphs in 2022 after pitching 71 1/3 innings of 1.77 ERA ball as a 22-year-old in Double-A. He’ll either return to Double-A to begin the 2024 season or jump up to Triple-A — and either way that’ll put him within general proximity of reaching the big leagues.
Mena, 20, has had a meteoric rise through the White Sox’ system, splitting the 2023 season between Double-A and Triple-A. After working to a 3.80 ERA across three levels as a 19-year-old in 2022, he posted a combined 4.85 ERA in 133 2/3 innings this year. While the earned run average certainly doesn’t jump out, Mena was four years younger than the average age of his Double-A opposition and nearly seven years younger than his average opponent in Triple-A. Despite that youth and lack of experience, he managed a 26.9% strikeout rate. His 11% walk rate speaks to a need to hone his command, but Mena has a heater that reaches 96 mph and a curveball that Baseball America (who ranks him sixth among Chicago prospects) touts as a plus pitch.
No-brainers. It appears that White Sox #22 prospect, RHP Matthew Thompson won’t be protected from the Rule 5 Draft.
Excerpt per MLB.com’s “Toughest Rule 5 Calls” article posted earlier today mlb.com/news/toughest-rule-5-draft-decisions-2023?…:
The White Sox spent $7.1 million on high school righties Thompson, Andrew Dalquist and Jared Kelley in the 2019 and 2020 Draft, and that investment has yet to pay off. A 2019 second-rounder from a Texas high school, Thompson can flash a plus fastball and curveball but got tagged for a 4.85 ERA and led the Southern League with 85 walks while striking out 136 in 124 1/3 Double-A innings.
Thanks for the inside scoop. Get to Birmingham much?
I don’t think Alabama would appreciate my presence, especially if I appeared as my alter-ego. Come to think of it, I don’t recall us ever playing a concert in the state. We have rocked Hot ‘Lanta a few times!
Eder will be known as Kenny Williams guy after gifting Miami Jake Burger and his 4-5 years of club control with a low contract who would be hitting 4th/5th in the current Sox lineup.
Nothing like having the former VP of baseabll operations making a trade while the former GM (Rick Hahn) opposed it and losing out the decision b/c of seniority.
The future of this kid Eder with a fastball and below average control screams late inning relief for his future.
Hardly worth a 30hr hitting low cost fan favorite in Burger.
Trade will only look worse with each year that goes by.
Yes.
It should also be noted that Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn were praised by most baseball pundits for the 2016 Chris Sale trade to the Red Sox for top prospects Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and others that kicked off the White Sox last rebuild. That entire tear-down now looks to be a failure with another potential one looming under their former Assistant GM/Farm Director Chris Getz at the helm.
I’d say the Chris sale trade has been a net positive for the white sox, but not by much. Sale had two good seasons for Boston but has cost a boatload. Moncada gave the white sox two good seasons for a fraction of the cost.
Chris Sale has a World Series ring which was the win for Boston. Adam Eaton, the player featured in the next rebuild trade at the same Winter Meeting also garnered a ring with the Nationals. None of Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito or Reynaldo Lopez earned one with the White Sox.
The other featured player in the Nats trade, Dane Dunning, just got one with the Rangers. He was dealt for Lance Lynn whose only ring came in his debut season with the 2011 Cardinals managed by Tony La Russa. Unsurprisingly, La Russa has also failed to earn a ring with the White Sox in his two stints as skipper.
Just because the acquirees haven’t won a ring doesn’t make it a bad trade. Adam Eaton didn’t last long in the MLB aside from his handful of seasons. Sox even got him back after he faded badly- Sox maxed out on the surplus contract values of Eaton, Q and Sale. Was still the right move as those Eaton-Sale-Laroche teams weren’t going anywhere
Still would like to see them bring back Reyno- and jury’s out on whether Quero and the other prospects the Angels sent over in their futile grab at relevancy end up paying off
Sale and Eaton didn’t merely get rings. They were each instrumental parts of their team’s championship run. That’s exactly why the Red Sox and Nationals made those veteran acquisitions at the expense of top prospects. Flags fly forever!
I actually picked Reynaldo Lopez to sign with the Cubs in the MLBTR prediction contest. A main reason for their fade down the stretch was a lack of solid veterans in the pen.
That’s not to say I don’t have the White Sox making a reunion free agent signing. I tabbed them to re-sign Lucas Giolito under the assumption he would settle for a pillow-type contract in order to build up hs stock for the 2024-2025 offseason. He clearly had his best production with the White Sox and is comfortable with long time mentor and pitching coach Ethan Katz.
I also doubled down on this thinking and have the White Sox signing his pal Jack Flaherty to another pillow deal. It would be a 12-year high school reunion of Giolito, Flaherty and Katz at the MLB level!
Who knows? If the White Sox can contend this summer and the Braves somehow fade, perhaps they can also acquire pending 2024-2025 free agent ace Max Fried by the summer trade deadline. The reunion can then become a foursome!!
A Harvard Westlake reunion would be …. awesome. Actually would go farther and speculate on a multi year deal for Gio with incentives. He was happy in Chicago and appreciated a chance to play for a contender. Getting Konerko-Buerhle vibes about his interest. And of course if Gio returns it has to be a package deal w his travel buddy Reyno
MLB.com baseball writer Anthony Castrovince also predicts a Harvard Westlake High School reunion this offseason…with the Braves: si.com/mlb/braves/analysis/bold-prediction-max-fri….
I remember thinking that this plan was genius 3 years ago.
Jake was way overrated – unless he’s your dh or supplanting Vaughn (arguable) no place to play him. One of the worst 3b in baseball next to Devers – who’s naturally all world with the bat. Hopefully Eder is the potential top of the rotation arm- otherwise I’m with you all w pitchforks for Kenny
Their improved farm system will have a few arms that can vie to eventually anchor the staff through what looks to be a couple of lean years. Mena and Eder will likely be needed in 2024, which could be somewhat interesting. Combined with acquisitions like Nastrini, Bush, Carella, and the college arms recently drafted, that should give them a few spins at the roulette wheel. No matter what words are used by Jerry and his minions, it’s a rebuild pure and simple, with some hope of not lasting forever.