The White Sox are in agreement with reliever Keone Kela on a minor league deal, as reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. He’s been assigned to the team’s Arizona complex for the time being as he builds into game shape.
Kela is trying to return to the big league level for the first time in four seasons. He hasn’t pitched in the affiliated ranks since 2022. Kela’s most recent affiliated opportunity came on a minor league deal with the Dodgers late that year. He signed on with the Yakult Swallows in Japan in 2023, though his time there was limited to 14 innings for their minor league club. Kela had a better run in the Mexican League last season, firing 40 innings of 2.70 ERA ball while striking out a quarter of opposing hitters. He added 16 innings of five-run ball in the Mexican winter league.
The White Sox are intrigued enough by his form to give him a minor league chance. The 32-year-old Kela has pitched parts of seven seasons at the big league level. He had his best run early in his career with the Rangers, for whom he tossed 169 innings with a 3.45 earned run average. He worked to an even better 2.49 mark over parts of three seasons with the Pirates, though that came in a total of 47 innings. Kela’s most recent big league experience came when he allowed eight runs in 10 2/3 innings for the ’21 Padres.
At his best, Kela had a fastball that sat in the 96 MPH range and a swing-and-miss curveball. He has fanned nearly 30% of batters faced against a manageable 9.2% walk rate as a big leaguer. The rebuilding White Sox have very little in the way of established bullpen arms. It’s a decent landing spot as Kela tries to get back to the highest level. He’ll presumably spend a couple weeks at the complex before heading to Triple-A Charlotte.
That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time…
That’s why the White Sox can afford him. Any relevant player is too expensive for Reinsdorf.
I know the term “dumpster diving” gets thrown around a lot, but this move exemplifies it. A 32 yr old reliever that hasn’t been good in over 5 years.
Get Flexen
The White Sox need to “Get Smart” first.
Started the worst fight in recent pirates memory and he did it because he was tired of pitching for the pirates.
Wait, are you Steve the Pirate?
No wv Steve who suffers through supporting my pirates. It’s like being your spouses AA sponsor year after year
Pirate gms kewl who doesn’t like good pirogi race
Same ones always win
How about signing some hitters who can hit.
Kela is actually kind of good. He was a late inning reliever and has had a solid career before he sucked
Jerry Dip-oto….wake up!
Kela had a reputation of hitting batters on purpose and instigated several bench clearing brawls in his days with the Pirates.
Rumors about Kela have been on all night and we have nine replies, Ithink nobody really cares anymore. Watched a bit of the White Sox game today, looked like there was about 600 people out there today, I guess nobody cares anymore.
Any team that brings back a name from the past to jog my memory for some immaculate grid action gets my support.
Rumor had it that he was quite the jerk in the Rangers clubhouse.
Ty Cobb and Josh Donaldson say hi
He cant be much worse than whats on the roster now. I dont know that they have a single pitcher in the bullpen that is reliable.
Wait Keona Kela sounds pretty cool when crooned over in a Blue Hawaii nightclub voice, will he be ready by Elvis night?
Sox digging deep for talent in the Mexicano league.