The White Sox announced they have selected the contract of right-hander Josimar Cousin, with fellow righty Luis Patiño designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Patiño, now 24, was once a top 100 prospect but hasn’t yet delivered on that hype as a major leaguer. He came up with the Padres and then went to the Rays in the December 2020 Blake Snell deal. But he struggled to establish himself in Tampa and was flipped to the White Sox just ahead of this year’s deadline.
Between those three clubs, he has 136 1/3 major league innings of experience to this point with a 5.02 earned run average. His 20.2% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate are both below typical league averages. He also has struggled at the Triple-A level, with a 5.12 ERA in 123 innings there in his career.
The righty exhausted his final option year in 2023, meaning he could no longer be sent to the minors without being exposed to waivers. With that diminished roster flexibility, it was going to be a challenge for him to hang onto a roster spot, given his poor results of late. The Sox will now have a week to try to work out a trade or pass him through waivers.
Cousin, 26 in February, was born in Cuba and signed a minor league deal with the Sox in May. He spent time at three different minor league levels this year, going from the Complex League to High-A and then Double-A. He posted a combined 5.56 ERA in 55 innings, striking out 19.6% of opponents and walking 6.3%. It’s unclear why he was added to the roster today but it’s possible there was some sort of opt-out in his deal or he was offered an opportunity overseas.
Samhaggertyplayoffhero
Why?
Tabata's Adopted Son
Kind of surprised, when they gave him a chance to start last year I thought he’d get an extended tryout at it in 2024.
roob
This could have playoff implications.
StusFirstDollar
Patino is the worst pitcher I’ve ever seen.
Senioreditor
There are 100’s worse
avenger65
Oh, no! There goes our number 2 starter!
cr4
If Patino is the worst pitcher you’ve ever seen you obviously have not watched Anthony Banda or Luke Weaver lol
Very Barry
I got to believe multiple teams in the KBO are gonna be working the phones all night on this one.
rememberthecoop
I thought highly of him back when he was a Padres prospect.
Gwynning
Maybe AJ will take him back on a MiLB contract? Major project at this point though…
Brew’88
Patino for Snell worked out nicely. AJ won’t get any credit of course
VermonsterSD
Shows why we can’t be so attached to prospects.
avenger65
Shows why prospects take a nosedive once they fall into the WS organization
Deleted Userr
@Brew’88 He will get credit for it. He will also get, the blame, for the Soto, Kemp, Myers and Upton trades.
Brew88
@harambe. No, he’ll be blamed for the bad trades and not credited for the good ones
Deleted Userr
@Brew Unless your name is Richard Burns, Mickey Koke or Mike Embleton in which case you do the opposite.
Brew88
From The Monkees?
Brew88
As we approach 2024, let’s put “thats what’s in” behind us
Deleted Userr
That’s what’s IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
Longtimecoming
And this boys and girls is why you should never get so caught up in the value of suspects, I mean prospects.
This guy was “can’t miss” possible TOR – originally slotted behind Gore for a 1 – 2 punch for years to come.
I don’t know if he has anything left to offer but I would love for SD to offer a minor league / invite just to see.
Longtimecoming
2020 top 100 had him at #27.
avenger65
Longtimecoming: Unfortunately, this is 2023.
StPeteStingRays
But, the Rays don’t lose trades smh
dano62
Patino was a hot-shot Rays prospect not that long ago so I concur, Why? It does seem TB has a knack for offloading talent that falls short tho…
explodet
Seems weird to praise the Rays when they traded Snell for him.
drasco036
Rays made the playoffs 5 times with one World Series appearance while maintaining one of the lowest payrolls in baseball since that trade. The Padres made the playoffs twice, zero World Series appearances and maintained a ridiculously high payroll that they now have to cut by 50 million dollars. Advantage Rays.
explodet
Completely irrelevant to whether Snell for Patino was a good trade or not.
Also the trade only happened 3 years ago, so the Rays definitely haven’t made the playoffs 5 times in 3 years. Stop smoking crack.
dano62
Snell’s an overrated and soon to be overpaid bum
tbfern
I agree to an extent. While it’s obvious the trade didn’t work out, the Rays were never going to pay Snell, sold early & got 4 of the Padres Top prospects at the time with Patiño being only 20 y/o. Very unfortunate & borderline insane that the Rays whiffed on all the four prospects. Very rare, but again they still didn’t have to pay Snell. But to your point, Rays lost the trade.
LosPobres1904
Who are the Rays?
StPeteStingRays
Well, at the time, Snell could hardly make it out of the 4th inning with less than 80-100 pitches. They took a gamble, and I’m glad. He was extremely frustrating to watch a lot of the time. I’m glad he figured out what he couldn’t in Tampa Bay, and I wish him continued success.
GOAT Closer Esteban Yan
Great stuff, but can’t find the strike zone. Definitely was the centerpiece of the Snell trade, but if the Rays couldn’t solve him, then I doubt anyone can.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Drasco
Look at the median salary for Padres over past 25 years, not as low as Rays but the big spending is very recent
drasco036
Manny,
Was the trade 25 years ago because my post definitely said “since the trade”.
avenger65
And the Sox have a knack for picking up talent that falls short.
Stevil
He’s out of options, but it’s still easy to see a team like Seattle picking him up and tinkering with him.
acoss13
Seattle or Cleveland possibly. Both have pitching clinics.
DJ62
Somebody should…the kid was only 23 when he posted those stats.
Max Rieper
Why the heck would you select a player for the MLB roster in December?
scarfish
Rule V protection?
Gwynning
Rule V is done.
Deleted Userr
Gwynning beat me to it. This dude wasn’t eligible for the Rule V draft this offseason and even if he had been the Rule V draft already happened.
Champ world champion Texas Rangers
Braves or Rays who signs him first.
acoss13
Braves, they’ve been working on the margins this offseason. Rays might be done with him.
niched
Orioles or Pirates
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Padres or Nationals
DarkSide830
Why is CHW selecting a contract in December?
acoss13
Have you seen who’s running the front office? Our illustrious former player development director with his awesome pedigree of developing so many White Sox players, that’s who.
just_thinkin
Came here to post this exact thing.
avenger65
Don’t forget the shambles he left the Royals farm system in when he worked there.
citizen
patino numbers look good with the sox but I’m sure Cousin is cheaper with no mlb service time.
Deleted Userr
@citizen The White Sox gain nothing by giving Cousin a 40-man spot now.
egrossen
Haha your funny
MLB Top 100 Commenter
We know he is likely wrong, but does he mean the White Sox, Padres or Rays?
DarkSide830
wut
CantShadowBanFishersBlumpkins
To keep the rest of the baseball world on its toes.
White Sox doing capoeira while everyone else is playing checkers.
StPeteStingRays
Paranaue, paranaue parana…
DarkSide830
Okay, found the answer here – the Sox signed Cousin to a MLB deal in May, so they could have selected him at any time, but are already paying him as a professional free agent.
DarkSide830
and he isn’t a first year pro. his Serie stats are on a different page under “Yosimar Cousín”.
Big Hurt
Thanks, this is helpful to fill in the background. However, it just shows that he has basically not had a good season in his entire 10 year career. He was just CRUSHED in the fall league – why in the world would they keep him over a 24 yo with a huge prospect pedigree and at least SOME success… Wow.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
When he was a Ute
Wait that was my Cousin Vinnie
Pete zahut
Pads should take a shot on him again
Gwynning
100%
CrikesAlready
New pitching coach might help. Where’s Darren Balsley??? (Spelling probably way off.)
Gwynning
Nailed the spelling, but Bals is still retired. Give Niebs a crack at Patiño and let’s roll
brushbackmlb
I wonder if Josimar Cousin is a Getz project he believes in. I see in his one year with the org he went from Rookie ball to High-A to Double-A & ended up in the AZ Fall League. His bottom line results weren’t great (ERA, record), but he kept his walks low and Ks reasonable, so there may be some level of upside here.
CantShadowBanFishersBlumpkins
I think that might have been more to move him up to competition that was more within his age group. He’s 25 so rookie ball is acclimation and the rest is just procedural.
AshamedMethGoat
Another Padres prospect goes bust…
Javia135
So, if he fails he was a Padres prospect but if he succeeds he was a Rays prospect?
Sign all the Cubans
Yup
schellis 2
I liked Patino alot when he was a Padres prospect, think that the pandemic really harmed his career like it did a few other prospects that lost that year of development.
I think he needs to go the pen to see if his stuff will play up there, don’t think he can hold a rotation slot at the moment and if tried he’ll be one of those that are bounced around for the year as teams continue to try to pass him through waivers.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Ever since he got caught pants down in the back of the Italian restaurant it’s been downhill for Coach Patino
Longtimecoming
Theo – line you’ve never taken your pants down at an Italian restaurant!
Rick says, “Hey, when did you move the bathroom?”
Dumpster Divin Theo
Mama mia
realsox
When you read through each day’s posts on this sight, it’s clear that the Sox are either inactive or dancing around the edges of their roster. It’s just really, really hard to watch as the team does almost nothing to fill the obvious holes. But now we have a reclamation project at short who was DFA’d by three teams last year, a glove-first-and only who might get a shot at second base, and another minor league catcher. Maybe things will change in January, but . . . .
Aiden Awe
They have been quiet the last few weeks. I see them preparing for 2025/2026. I’m not saying they are competing in 2024.
avenger65
realsox: They’ve been hard to watch since 2021, when jr’s buddy LaRussa stepped in during a promising team and demoralized the team. When LaRussa left, I thought that would change things for the better. But jr zipped his wallet shut, exacerbating a bad situation. Unfortunately, what we see is what we get: cheap, former prospects; players who have been dfa’d more than once; reclamation projects; and players that stunk here but did well in a lower level foreign league. By hiring Getz instead of interviewing legitimate candidates for GM, jr let the fans know he has no interest in building a competitive team let alone a contender. Get used to it. The Sox will be bottom feeders until jr is gone.
nrd1138
Ahh, yes, wait until next next year. Sox need to get that on a shirt.
cwsOverhaul
No mystery. WSox are aiming for a very low team payroll outside of being stuck with Moncada in ’24. They will probably wind up about 52-110 next year (not an exaggeration) even in a terrible division.
Aiden Awe
I would say 65-97 tbh.
Dumpster Divin Theo
I see then bouncing to 75 wins, and finishing in a 4 way tie
Dumpster Divin Theo
Yeah but it’s better than spending $7 mill on a Hunter Renfroe. If you’re only going for league avg at some positions might as well plug then in foe the minimum. I’d be more excited about stockpiling upside arms. If Fedde, Sororka or Schuster scratch their potential you might have something.
Aiden Awe
75 wins would be insane for a non competitive year. But I doubt so I gave 65-66 wins.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Hunter Renfroe is a legitimate power bat, he is worth maybe $3 million a year
Motor City Beach Bum
Tigers should take a look and see what Fetter can do with him.
Tom the ray fan
My Rays swung and missed on this trade.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
It seemed ok at the time, like a Glasgow for Pepiot
Angry Disgruntled Sox Fan
Too bad. I know this guy hasn’t really been that good or developed well but I really like him with his high strikeout rate. Hope the Red Sox take a chance on him; I’m still holding out he will be the great pitcher they expected him to be.
Honestly, I can see a reunion with the Rays as a potential possibility.
mp9
STRAIGHT to A’s
turn himself into a solid 3 in the rotation!!
dirty617water
Watch Breslow claim/trade for him and say this is there “big splash” for the offseason.
Kwilder
Nothing but a slap stick prospect
jimrad
What does Getz have to lose by bringing this guy to spring training? White Sos can use all the help they can get. No brains !
nrd1138
Another underwhelming transaction.. I mean its not ALL on Getz, ‘The Chairman’ can say that they tried to spend money and it failed, so now he can use that as excuse to throw nickels around like manhole covers until he sells the team or goes to the hereafter. He’ll never be able to sell the team for what he wants though consider how godawful it is, so I guess there is the latter….
Aiden Awe
I don’t think Getz is been terrible so far. I agree I hated the way he was hired but still. He improved the defense by getting rid of Aaron Bummer and others.
nrd1138
You have it the wrong way. You improve the pitching by having better defense around the pitchers. Not changing your pitchers to cover up poor defensive miscues. Bummer’s issue was having the tendency to let miscues affect his rhythm and Anderson being let go was a no-brainer, I cannot give a GM credit for doing the obvious.
Aiden Awe
I said it the wrong way, your right. Bummer needed to go. Sox are in a 1 year rebuild/retool based on what I’m hearing. Competing in 2025/2026 is still possible. Not the same situation back in 2016. I’m pissed just like any other WS fan, been a fan since the 2016. Fans don’t want to encountered 2016 Situation all over again.
MarlinsFanBase
I sense the Bendix will be giving his agent a call about coming to Spring Training with the Marlins…assuming no one else picks him up before that call is made.
dazedatnoon
Does anyone know who this Josimar guy is related to? Surely he is best friends with Yariel Rodriguez or Yamamoto. Something right…..?
Gwynning
They’re all on a plane to Toronto as we speak…
Deleted Userr
Why exactly did they feel the need to add Josimar Cousin to the 40-man roster at this point in the year?