September 24: Kuhl has cleared waivers and been released, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times on X.
September 21: The White Sox announced a series of roster moves this afternoon headlined by the club designating right-hander Chad Kuhl for assignment. Kuhl’s departure from the roster makes room for the return of right-hander Michael Soroka, who Chicago activated from the 15-day injured list and reinstated to the active roster. Right-hander Jordan Leasure was also activated from the IL, but was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte and will not be rejoining the club’s active roster.
Kuhl, 32, signed a minor league deal with the White Sox back in January but did not get the call to the majors until mid-June. He joined the club’s bullpen as a multi-inning relief option and performed fairly well in the role early on, with a 3.69 ERA and 4.08 FIP in 31 2/3 innings of work through the end of July. He moved to a short relief role following the trade deadline, however, and hasn’t acclimated to the new role well with a 7.06 ERA in 21 2/3 innings of work despite fairly solid peripheral numbers during that time, including a 4.14 FIP that was only a few points higher than his successful first half of the year and a strong 26.7% strikeout rate.
Overall, the right-hander has pitched to a lackluster 5.06 ERA that’s 18% worse than league average by measure of ERA+ despite a solid 4.11 FIP. Those lackluster results are more or less par for the course relative to Kuhl’s career, as his career 4.98 ERA and 86 ERA+ aren’t too dissimilar from his production in 2024. Where there’s room for optimism, however, is in his peripherals. That aforementioned 4.11 FIP is actually the best Kuhl has posted in a season since his rookie campaign back in 2016 with the Pirates, while this year’s 22.5% strikeout rate and 44.4% groundball rate are both career-bests for the veteran of 8 big league seasons.
It seems as though the biggest culprit for Kuhl’s struggles this year is his inflated .340 BABIP allowed, a stat that perhaps isn’t surprising given that the White Sox are the worst team in the majors by Defensive Runs Saved and second from the bottom by measure of Outs Above Average. Given those solid peripherals and his experience both starting and pitching in relief, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Kuhl enter free agency this offseason as somewhat attractive depth option for pitching-needy clubs, particularly if he’s once again willing to accept a minor league deal. In the meantime, Chicago will have one week to try and pass Kuhl through waivers, though the right-hander would have the opportunity to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency and he’d still be slated to reach free agency this November even if he accepted the outright.
Replacing Kuhl on the roster is Soroka, who was acquired from the Braves last offseason. Soroka’s 72 1/3 innings of work this year are the most he’s pitched in a season since 2019, when he finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in NL Cy Young award voting with an excellent 2.68 ERA and 3.45 FIP in 29 starts for Atlanta. Unfortunately, injuries have derailed the right-hander ever since, and his return to action this year left much to be desired as he posted a lackluster 5.23 ERA with a 5.41 FIP across 22 appearances, including nine starts. Soroka’s numbers improved after he was moved out of the rotation, however, as he pitched to a 3.45 ERA with a 3.34 FIP in 28 2/3 relief innings thanks to an excellent 36.7% strikeout rate out of the bullpen. Those solid numbers in a relief role were cut short by a shoulder strain just before the All-Star break, but nonetheless offer reason for optimism as the righty heads to free agency for the first time in his career this winter.
Not Kuhl, man. Not Kuhl
The only Kuhl thing was his entry music: Robert Plant’s Long Cool One
Man, the things that getting DFAd by the White Sox would do to my self esteem…
Then again, doing just about anything else sounds like more fun than continuing to be a part of what is about to be the losingest major league roster of all time.
Big deal. No one is going to claim him so he’ll be sent to AAA and magically reappear on the major league roster for someone else who is DFAd and sent to AAA and magically reappear, and on and on and on. The perfect combination for a team that will finish with more than 120 losses.
So his last game for the nationals was against the padres, he got lit up and dfa that night.
White Sox are currently playing the padres, he pitched an inning and gave up a hit and gets dfa.
Wow the Padres done him dirty, no wonder their unis are brown
Free agents going to
Put clause in contract next year if signing with the white Sox – if team is at 100 loses, automatic trade or guaranteed release
I think with the quality of the FAs that the Sox will sign, that will not be an issue they need to address.
Korea is calling on line 2..
Giving him some credit. He’s actually been pretty effective for a bad team this year. He had a handful of outings where he got roughed up that inflated his numbers. He mostly pitched well outside those 4-5 outings that made up the bulk of the earned runs allowed.
Hopefully he lands somewhere with defense next season and he keeps making progress.
Agree. He wasn’t as bad as some ppl think.
Yeah other than all those hits and runs he gave up, he got some outs
This team has a woefully bad defense behind their pitchers. As that likely will not change next year, it will be tough to be a White Sox pitcher.. Especially when you are getting roughed up, but the guy that is supposed to help is either sleeping in the dugout or has his nose buried too much in his tablet to notice.
Well, Chad, here’s the thing- we realize we only have 8 games left, but the best chance we have to make sure we are indeed the worst team ever is to make sure you are not on the roster.
While we don’t have the numbers off the top of our heads, we’re confident that your 7.06 ERA since July is among the best we have, and that sets a bad example. we can’t have that and say that we’re the worst.
Good luck trying to resurrect your career. We would love for you to have stayed, but we have loftier goals to reach.
Love,
Chicago White Sox.
Only way to get CWS in the news is by doing stupid DFA’s from the worst roster in baseball.
Kuhl story, bro.
He just breathed a big sigh of relief, no longer being employed by the White Sox
I’d say they’re a team full of Urkels, but I am guessing even he could play better baseball.
You talked to Waldo? I can never find him.
When I went to UCLA, Uriel was majoring in film there at the same time. One of my roommates in university housing was also a film student, and he worshipped the Urk, so Urkel came to a party at our apartment.
But my most memorable brush with fame was beating the late Gary Coleman head-to-head at the old NFL Blitz arcade game in Westwood one weekend.
* Urkel, not Uriel (stupid autocorrect)
Better days are ahead for the White Sox. Because they hit rock bottom, they have anywhere but to go up after this season. It would be a great story in baseball if the White Sox would win the ALC or the World Series later this decade.
Worst owner in sports please stand up!!
At least he isn’t moving the White Sox to Las Vegas.
Nope, but Jerry is looking at Nashville for refuge.
Bob Nutting, on your feet.
These days, they coddle ‘em too much. And now they’re talkin’ ‘bout Soroka like he’s gonna fix it all. Injuries, shmingeries! Get out there and throw strikes!
Mr. Reinsdorf please sell the team. Terrible brand of baseball from ownership to low minors.