The White Sox announced that right-hander Bryan Shaw has been re-signed to a minor league contract. The deal contains an invitation for Shaw to attend Chicago’s big league spring camp.
This is Shaw’s third minor league deal with the Pale Hose in a little under a year’s time, as he initially signed with the team last spring and then inked a new contract in April after not making the Opening Day roster. Shaw was eventually selected twice to Chicago’s active roster during the season, with a DFA and an outright assignment in between.
On the field, Shaw delivered a 4.14 ERA over 45 2/3 innings out of the White Sox bullpen. It was a nice bounceback from the 5.40 ERA that Shaw posted with the Guardians in 2022, as Shaw allowed a lot less hard contact and drastically cut back on his home run rate. The righty’s 40.2% grounder rate was the lowest of his 13 MLB seasons, which was a bit of a concern since Shaw doesn’t miss many bats (only a 20.9% strikeout rate). Shaw enjoyed a big finish to his year, as he had an 0.92 ERA over his last 18 appearances and 19 2/3 innings.
Shaw was a quality bullpen workhorse during his prime 2013-17 years with Cleveland, though his results have been much more inconsistent over the last six seasons. Since Opening Day 2018, Shaw has a 5.07 ERA over 314 innings with the Rockies, Mariners, Guardians, and White Sox, with his 2021 and 2023 seasons standing out as the only successful campaigns within that six-year run.
Now entering his age-36 season, the White Sox can see what Shaw still has left in the tank, and there’s no risk for the club on just a minor league deal. Depending on how things play out in camp, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Shaw perhaps again end up as a late cut, only to rejoin the Sox again on another minors contract once their roster situation is a little more settled.
Shaw’s return does provide one familiar face within a relief corps that has undergone a big overhaul both this winter and even dating back to last season’s trade deadline. The five pitchers who made the most appearances for the White Sox last season (Aaron Bummer, Gregory Santos, Kendall Graveman, Reynaldo Lopez, Keynan Middleton) are no longer on the roster, while Shaw’s 45 2/3 frames ranked sixth on Chicago’s list. While the Sox seem to be leaning towards a rebuild, however, they have also added some veteran arms to fill those gaps in the bullpen, such as John Brebbia, Tim Hill, and minor league signings like Shaw, Jesse Chavez, Dominic Leone, Corey Knebel, and several others.
Livermore represent!
Have to give Shaw some credit. We’ve counted him out more often than a Mike Tyson opponent but he keeps coming back and contributing.
Also signed Lucius Fox last week
Little fun fact: Shaw had 1.0ip in 5 consecutive days without allowing a hit to close out his season last year. Pretty impressive.
Well, if anything this team will have plenty of options I suppose.
White Sox are one of the couple of teams that have no reason to not sign Bauer:
1. Hasn’t played there or “worn out his welcome”
2. Not a contender
3. Wouldn’t be “clogging up” a young starters start
4. Aren’t they much more conservative fan base than the cubs?
5. Not many fans going to games,and this will bring people out
6.Not in California or New York
there are like 3-5 teams that fit in this if he has any chance of getting on a team (probably near the season,so the pr hit isn’t terrible)
Wouldn’t bother me at all especially since he was never charges but I think the players there wiukd have to agree. And who’s to say if he did anything at all. People do lie for money.
Trevor did say he didn’t mind playing for the White Sox. I agree on 2 and 5. He’s a good low risk high reward pitcher. I rather have him starting over Kopech.
‘Low risk’? Are you high? he is a HUGE risk!
I get you mean low risk in terms of performance or injury, but I doubt that the kind of press ‘the Chairman’ wants when stumping for his juicy stadium deal (which I REALLY hope he never gets).
Look, I get the guy was not tried or convicted of anything, but its obvious his type of lifestyle is begging for someone to keep accusing him, legit or not, and no team should want that kind of baggage with their players.
White Sox need to fix the clubhouse culture. Not sure Bauer fit that bill, even before the accusations.
1) With his apparent lifestyle choices, its only a matter of time he is accused again (legit or not).
2) You have that right, but he will be a pariah wherever he goes, not worth the press especially since the ‘Chairman’ wants his new Stadium funded by taxpayer dollars(which he should not get BTW)
3) True, but having on the club is pointless, as even if he pitches well, they are not likely going to be able to flip him for anything as not many, if any, clubs what the PR headache.
4) Uhh,I think you need to look up the definition of ‘Conservative’ considering the ownership of the Cubs. In any case, as ‘conservatives’ like to meddle with what people can and cannot do in the privacy of their own bedroom, I think you have this mixed up. (Even then, I doubt the Sox want him, again because of the PR nightmare).
5) ‘Protests’ does not equal ‘fan turnout’.
6 True, but if he messes around in Chicago and another accuser comes forward there, then he is now ousted out of another major city, that not the kind of record one should want..
Not a bad signing considering Sox need a closer. I see Bryan Shaw being the closer tbh.
Rubber arm Shaw will at least munch up Innings in blowout games, but won’t be closer. I do like this signing bc he can dish out good advice to some of the pitchers that are near the age of his kids and will never refuse to take the mound on any given day. Was always a fan of him bc he pitched so dang much while with other teams winnings or losing. Team player
He was the closer once Santos(now traded to Seattle) hit the IL late last season.
C
Over by defaultthen
I’m tempted to say his was the worst contract the Rockies ever gave out, but then I think about Wade Davis and Kris Bryant and Ian Desmond and Denny Neagle and … maybe Shaw sneaks into the top ten.
I guess congrats to him for persevering and having some success when he sure seemed done 5 or 6 years ago.
People/Fans need to quit dissing this White Sox team. It’s very possible The Starters of Cease, Fedde, Soroka, Kopech, Crochet, Flexen could very well become the pitchers they were touted out to be. Not nearly 30% of pitchers getting call to MLB come out the gate running. Look at Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson early years. Not trying to compare any of these to those 2 guys but stranger things have happened to players, I’m much more excited for this team over the same players from last year. You can get 26 players grinding day in & day out….strange things can happen. I’m just a HUGE Sox fan & always have faith in them. Been a fan so long I even caught a ball in leftfield stands thrown to me after I hollered at Luis Alvarado during Sox warmup. I hollered Luis, throw me the ball. …drilled it right in my glove…I was 12 & nearly passed out bc he did. ….Dick Allen & Bill Melton were playing then…..In very old Arlington Stadium in Texas…
Still have low expectations at the end of the day.
Fun fact. On July 31, 1972, Dick Allen hit two inside the park home runs off of Bert Blyleven in Minnesota. I believe that Luis Alvarado scored in front of him both times.
It’s anybody’s division to take. I dislike Grifol. Would rather have Renteria at the helm. It was obvious he was going to get axed after the last playoff game though. Grifol gets zero effort from the players. They had no reason to play a hurt TA last season. It’s too bad he wasn’t man enough to take himself out of the lineup. Anyway a rebound from key players and some newly signed vets working out could propel them to the division title and eventual first round loss. After attending last seasons horrible games rather than throw stones I’ll be like most of the fans and either stay home or watch from the bar. It was sad to watch a team going thru the motions to get paid last season. Park underrated, area not as bad as advertised, easy stadium to access and watch a game. Just don’t sit in the upper deck behind home plate , in the “wings” of the upper deck where it ends by the foul poles or in the so called small mid tier along third base line and you’ll have a good experience.
The first sentence is true. Pedro could always improve in his sophomore season but he needed help from TLR.
Same thing said of LaRussat too about couldn’t get effort. When is it ever the players making millions fault for not giving all. Heck players shouldn’t even need coach to tell them to play hard. Players getting richer and fatter.sign that 10 year 400 million contracts then laxy up. Still gonna get the money
if if if if if if.. yeah, this team is destined for greatness. ALL teams should just ‘hope’ hard enough that their entire roster shows up and each player has a career year….
I get people are ‘huge’ fans, but reality has to show up whether one likes it or not.
I have been a Sox fan for 35 years now. The Sox have been an org who, since at least 2000, have tried to ‘luck’ there way into the playoffs and a title. They succeeded in ’05, but its clear that was not due to any skill by the past regime, but a HUUUUGE pile of good luck.
Im not sure of the rest of fans, but Im tired of ‘hoping’ every player on the roster has a career year for the Sox to be good and make the playoffs and actualy win there too. Even over the past few this team clearly did not have it, even making the playoffs is not worth anything when its clear they disappeared against good teams. Heck ‘the Chairman’ and LaRussa only submerged any chance of this window they had staying open. That dingus also wants a new stadium, and he should never get it. Sell the team and then we can discuss with the new owner who hopefully wants to put a winner on the field. That’s my last ‘hope’ for this club.
Actually its not, I hope they surprise me, but I doubt it.
Yup. I watch most games and agree with your post. IF Jimenez stays healthy…Moncada hits like he’s supposed to….Vaughan’s major league timing comes together at the plate…etc etc.
Then, every signing is a dude that has shown something at one point in hopes that IF they put it all together, they’ll be great. I’ll eat my words if this team doesn’t have a worse record than last year. Prediction 55 wins.
A bit too low.
Sneaky good pickup. Shaw pitched 18 times in September, including 19 2/3 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs and 20 Ks. He can pitch everyday, and was throwing a 95 mph cutter at 35, which is a full mph faster than ’22. Great guy to have around.
Assuming once the season starts, most of them will be sent down to triple A.
In Cleveland, I often thought Shaw pitched better the more often he was used. It seemed that if ĥe had a few days rest he wasn’t sharp. No facts, just an impression. That said, Guardian fans will rest easier tonight knowing there is no chance he will show up at their camp.
Shaw is another White Sox ‘hope’ of having a good first half to flip him at the AS break. Given his track record that could happen but that is all this move should be viewed as for this season.