The White Sox signed Chad Kuhl to a minor league deal last week, as per the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. The contract presumably includes an invitation to Chicago’s big league Spring Training camp.
Kuhl posted an 8.45 ERA over 38 1/3 innings with the Nationals last season, consisting of five starts and 11 bullpen appearances. Small sample size notwithstanding, Kuhl’s 15% walk rate and 16.6% strikeout rate were both the lowest of his seven-year MLB career, and batters continued to tee off on Kuhl’s sinker (one of his two primary pitches). Kuhl broke camp with Washington after signing a minor league deal with the Nats last winter, though he was designated for assignment and subsequently released in June.
A toe sprain sent Kuhl to the injured list for a few weeks in May, but his 2023 performance might’ve been understandably impacted by some far more importantly real-world concerns. Kuhl’s wife Amanda underwent chemotherapy treatments dealing with breast cancer, and Kuhl announced in July that had turned down other contract offers in order to spend the rest of the season with his family. This deal with the White Sox is a positive sign that things are well on the health front for Amanda, and her recent X postings revealed that she finished treatments in November.
The 31-year-old Kuhl has a 4.98 ERA over 615 career innings, with much of that time spent with the Pirates before landing with the Rockies in 2022 and the Nationals last year. Working mostly as a starter, he projects as a depth arm for the White Sox to evaluate this spring as the team considers its rotation options.
Dylan Cease continues to star in trade rumors, but for now, the righty continues to be ace of Chicago’s pitching staff. Michael Kopech and new signing Erick Fedde have two other rotation spots covered, while Michael Soroka, Jared Shuster, Touki Toussaint, Chris Flexen, and Jesse Scholtens will join Kuhl in battling for a job (or possibly a swingman role) in one of the two remaining spots. This isn’t the most inspiring group on paper, yet with the White Sox seemingly considering some level of rebuild, it seems possible the team is just looking for younger arms and candidates to eat innings in the event that Cease is dealt.
It’s really hard to believe Baltimore is serious about winning. Cowser, Kjerstad, Coby Mayo, Chayce McDermott and Cade Povich gets Dylan Cease done. Still leaves plenty of kids on the farm including Jackson Holiday.
You don’t know what the Sox are asking for.
Baltimore has a surplus of infielders Sox want pitching
Wrong. The White Sox need anything and everything.
I agree. It’s a perfect match and Baltimore is stupid not to do their best to make it happen. Also, I don’t believe anyone will match the package that the O’s can give up so Getz needs to make that plethora of talent deal any way that he can with them.
He can always trade some of those pieces away if the Sox ever have surplus in any area which almost never happens for them.
Baltimore has a surplus of infielders Sox want pitching Baltimore refuses to give up pitching
I agree Bob, Sox need pitching. That should be their top priority. However aside from Montgomery, there really is not much infield talent there either. It seems Cease has been just shaky enough lately to bring doubts about his actual value. Seems his 2 years of Control might be his top selling point.
If I’m Getz and can get a good 3B prospect (like Mayo) along with another potential long term piece, I’d do it and worry about the pitching next.
Trading ‘happy go lucky’ Eloy would be my next ‘move’. The sooner the better.
Agreed Dogdone, “just shaky enough lately to bring doubts about his actual value”. Plus he has only a small playoff experience footprint and that one start he had didn’t impress.
Prudent of the Os (and others) to play hardball with the Sox.
Ramos looks like a quality 3B in the near future.
The White Sox don’t know what to ask for. MLB’s most totally inept organization and quite possibly in all of major sports.
That’s just silly, Palehouse.
They wouldn’t even need to trade all those guys. One from the Cowser/Kjerstad/Mayo group, one of Ortiz/Norby, and one of McDermott/Povich. Maybe a 4th smaller filler piece.
If you want Cease …. That’s what we want. That’s the price. Be happy with 1st round playoff exits, or add a guy in Cease who makes you a legit contender. White Sox can throw in a kid like Jordan Leasure, or maybe a Shane Drohan, who is ready for MLB innings to add back some depth to Baltimore farm.
legit contender by adding a #3 starter? he helps yes, but Cease is not a #1. braddish and Grod are better than Cease. your clueless.
Er, what? “braddish and Grod are better than Cease” have done what in their short careers? The blind arrogance of their first playoff experience in ages?
@dumpster divin:
Really dumpster? Maybe it’s Your arrogance.
After all, “When do YOU expect the next White Sox playoff experience, to be”?
I’m waiting on your response.
Have you seen the 2024 AL Central?? Healthy Soroka, 130 games out of Eloy. We know what Robert is gonna do. Winning the Central ain’t out of the question even though they ain’t trying to do that right now. Minnesota and Cleveland fire sales have just begun.
Why didn’t cease make the sox a contender?
Reinsdorf and LaRussa. Just think where the Sox could be right now if Renteria was still their manager and Reinsdorf actually cared enough to give Hahn the kind of money it would have taken to keep the team a contender in the PO. But Reinsdorf hates the Sox. He told his kids that, when he died, sell the Sox but keep the Bulls. Sorry, Bulls fans.
Wrong answer.
It’s because cease only had one good year.
And was shelled in his brief start in the Sox early exit.
Idk, Bob. The White Sox always ask for the moon. Can’t believe what they got for Bummer. If it were Detroit trading Bummer, they would’ve got 1-2 guys in return, probably.
They got a bunch of guys who were going to be non-tendered the next day. Bummer haul isn’t that impressive.
I’m also a Sox fan btw.
I’d bet money on him starting Opening Day for the Sox. Hope I’m wrong and we get more than what I said above.
Adam Eaton = Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Dane Dunning
Quintana = Dylan Cease, Eloy Jimenez
We will get a haul for Cease!
Pretty strong haul considering the year the Bummer had last year.
A healthy Mike Soroka will make the Bummer deal a steal.
Mikey Kopech will be on the bump Opening Day.
@verybarry: You must miss Rick Hahn and Kenny. And have high hopes for Getz.
I’m happy for you.
Don’t confuse quantity with quality, Sox got a bunch of “meh” for Bummer. Not an impressive haul in my view.
Much would prefer a :one for one” trade, get an impressive A ball player for Bummer and now your talking.
If Soroka is healthy and they hold on to Cease that’s actually not a bad looking rotation. Could do worse than Touki or Flexen as your #5
Cease had 3.5 years of control left and Eaton had 3
Right. That’s because Bummer sucks. He was the last guy in the pen that I wanted to see come out with runners on base. Plus, his contract isn’t cheap.
The Sox did great to get anything decent for him.
If Sox want top value in return for Dylan, I think he starts on OD too … and pitches deep in to the 1st half of the season. They gotta show the league that his slide last year was just a temporary glitch along his career path.
Huge overpay
Best of luck to Chad. He and his family have been through a lot the past few years
Getz going all in…..on a 100 plus loss season.
He’s actually doing what he should do, considering the limitations the team is giving him. Not much is coming from the farm, and an owner that keeps to a budget. Overpaying FAs is not going to get them out of their situation (that Getz is somewhat responsible for).
Signing low cost reclamation projects is his best option. He hits on two or three, and the teams outlook can change. Cubs have been thru this many times, so you should understand.
You do have a point. White Sox have a good track record on bounce back players especially on pitchers.
Hope he does well and let’s all say a prayer for Amanda.
Seems like the CWS are stock piling a bunch of former MLB starters..Baltimore is just pumping up the prospects like they’re untouchable even though everyone knows that their blocked on the MLB roster.
More for the low upside collection of nothings for the Sox.
That’s so Kuhn
Kuhl
Sox need to trade their 2 best players. Believe Robert would have fetched more than what Soto got. Only way to speed this thing up
They won’t trade LRJ.
as a Reds fan…sox asked for an unholy amount of talent for Cease. glad we moved on
Reds fans act like they’re building a dynasty of 3rd and 4th place finishes.
Sox act like Cease is Greg Maddux…
That is pretty Kuhl for him to sign in Chicago!
That’s all they do. Is take other teams rejects
I got to say Chris Getz & Jerry Reinsdorf are sure building a outstand triple A club. To sell to their fan base
Don’t look now but the much maligned Sox farm system has moved from near the bottom to #12 – 15 in latest rankings
That does not mean much when it rose because of trades made (and not because of existing talent getting better) Whether or not those guys actually become major league ballplayers is not in that stat and judging by previous history with this club I’m not expecting many, if any, of these guys to produce effectively at a major league level. It does not mean I am right, but its just a reflection of how godawful this orgs development system is.
Why do most other teams seem to keep steadily turning out good teams and the Sox may be good one or two seasons. Good thing they have Cease to trade . Probably for someone else’s old rejects
They could be a decent team in 25/26. Not saying playoff team.
I’m glad to hear that Amanda Kuhl is doing well. It was a shocker that someone so young had been afflicted with cancer. Good luck to Chad on his comeback bid, too.
Not really a shocker as people think. My wife fought her cancer for almost 3 years before she passed in 2019. Spent a ton of time in waiting rooms from her surgery, her treatments, and her appointments with her doctors. Met a lot of patients and their families. My wife was in her early 50s. We saw people from their 20s to their 80s being treated. We did not kids simply because the cancer center has a special unit at the Children’s Hospital in town. Cancer sucks and strikes all ages. Would not wish any form on even my worst enemy.
So sorry to hear that Roberto. Hope you find solace in your family and the occasional odd entertaining post. When my dad passed with cancer I found the ballpark a relaxing place as that’s where he used to take us. Hopefully you make it to one of the Stand Up to Cancer events.
I had cancer in my 20s. Kids get cancer all the time unfortunately, and the mortality is so great that Danny Thomas founded a hospital (St Judes) to treat and fight it. Cancer is insidious and can happen to anyone at any age. Its why its important to monitor ones health and trust your intuition sometimes even if the doctor says otherwise.
Glad to hear you made it through. Keep vigilant, as you say .
This is such a KUHL signing by the pale hose
The White Sox offseason is pathetic. It’s like the job requirement is fielder with sub .200 avg or pitcher with an era over 5.
I want to see him revive in the whitesox.
Cease is Not an Ace, He is a #3 starter on good teams. He can’t make 5 inn some nights. Getz is horrible, learning on job. Sox will lose 110 gms next year. Reinsdorf must sell this team. I could care less anymore about them
.
It depends what team you’re talking about. On the Sox, he’s an ace. On the Braves, he wouldn’t be. It’s interesting that people on this board focus on last year while ignoring 2022. People also have to realize the Sox organization is not going to make a player better. Look at Brasier. He had an ERA over 7 with Boston, then goes to the LAD and his ERA drops to 0.70. J.D. was supposedly washed up, but look what he did last year when he got to the Dodgers.That’s what happens when you have good coaches. The Sox don’t have that. Chicago. Where good careers go to die.
I, and Im sure others, focus on Cease in 2023 and not 2022 as it shows he regressed, and not progressed. This should have been another good season for Cease. Instead we saw a guy tap dancing around the strike zone, driving his pitch count up and walking guys, which is what he was doing before 2022. Never mind in 2022 when he just had to have some good showings to win the Cy Young, and help the Sox out, he disappeared (and completing a no hitter would have been nice instead of letting his ego get the better of him). Now, that could be the Team’s poor showing and not his skill set, but teams are not going to hand over the top prospects for a guy who had about 2/3rd of a great season and been fairly average, if not mediocre before and after then.
That’s high pitch count.
The Nat’s were through bein’ Kuhl…?