Infielder Gage Workman has cleared waivers, and the White Sox have returned him to the Tigers, as reflected by his transaction log on MLB.com. He will report to Triple-A Toledo.
This hardly comes as a surprise after the White Sox designated Workman for assignment earlier this week. The Cubs initially selected Workman from the Tigers in the Rule 5 draft this past December. He made the Opening Day roster for the North Siders and suited up for the club in nine games over the first few weeks of the season. However, the Cubs no longer had a role for him after signing the much more experienced utility infielder Nicky Lopez to a big league deal in mid-April. Per the Rule 5 regulations, the Cubs could not simply option Workman to the minors, so they DFA’d him and traded him to the White Sox for cash considerations not long after.
Workman played just three games for the White Sox before landing on the IL with a right hip flexor strain. Upon reinstating him, the South Siders chose not to add him back to their active roster and DFA’d him instead. This time, evidently, no other teams were interested in giving him (and his .485 OPS through 17 PA) a spot on their active roster, so passed through waivers unclaimed. The White Sox then had to offer him back to the Tigers. As his original team, Detroit is not obligated to add him to its 26 or 40-man roster. He will return to the Tigers’ minor league system, where he thrived last year, hitting .280 with a 142 wRC+ in 126 games at Double-A.
Weird season for him.
LOL @ those who were decrying the Tigers’ loss of this 4A’er.
lol at you for not understanding how baseball works. lol lol lol. Clown.
He could still be a decent MLB player. He just needs more time in AAA, actually, any time there, he’s never played there.
Just isn’t currently worth a 40 man spot. I agree some people just didn’t get how baseball works on and especially, off the field.
He had a full spring training. A good Spring to boot. He got a cup of coffee in the bigs and now he’s back. Hard to see the cons in that. He’s already got more experience than most of his future teammates. Oh, and he gets to go back to past coaches and players… If he comes up, cool. If not, depth that costs relatively nothing.
He’s not a 4A player. He’s a Double AA player selected before he was ready. Such a dumb comment.
Because if you struggle in your first 17 ABs, you’re obviously not MLB material.
He does strikeout alot and doesn’t walk a whole lot. I just don’t understand how he cracks AA in ’22 and hasn’t had AAA at bats before age 24
As they still do not have a permanent solution for the position, happy to have him back.
Happy to have him back. IDK how good he’ll end up being but have liked watching him in the minors so hopefully he’ll eventually make a serviceable MLB player.
Hope he had a good vacation in Chicago. Maybe he will figure some things out in AAA and end up replacing Ivanez or McKinistry one day.
He’d better step it up, BIG TIME, to do that….
It sure won’t be this year the wat Ibanez and McKinistry have played!
This guy could still end up being a pretty solid utility player eventually, if he can work on his strikeout rate.
I knew he would be back. Well, I said 70% chance he would be back. When the Cubs racked up the wins and put themselves clearly in contention, I figured it was just a matter of time. The trade to the south side surprised me tho.
He obviously wasn’t ready. Not sure if he has a certain future with the Tigers, but I’m glad he’s back.
So are there any Rule 5 picks left? Seems like a rough year for them.
Even after returning Workman, the White Sox are still holding on to two Rule 5 players, Shane Smith and Mike Vasil.
Smith and Vasil have been major contributors to the White Sox. Smith looks to be a potential core SP while Vasil figures to get a shot as their future closer.
Not really hard to be a major contributor to the White Sox at this point, but Smith has looked good and there is plenty of space on the roster for Vasil given how inept the bull pen is.
Mike just got his 1st career save tonight in Cincinnati.
@nrd: I’m a Cubs fan, so this isn’t boosterism: Don’t underestimate the much-improved White Sox. I have been watching them, and they are far from being the team they were last season. Not just the pitchers you mentioned, but some other pitchers too, and young players like Meidroth and Quero and Vasquez have transformed them. Robert Jr. is hitting again and leads the league in stolen bases. The Cubs have been scuffling anyway, and I am scared to death of the Cubs-Sox series this weekend. I think a Sox sweep will be the lead baseball story nationally Monday morning.
As Hawk Harrison would say: “Im sorry, your WHAT hurts?”
Much improved… umm their record is identical to that of 2024 -14-30- and we saw how that played out. Also, who is Vasquez?
While I’m pleasantly surprised by Lenyn Sosa who is off to a solid start (and would be surprised if he is not moved at the deadline if he keeps hitting well), and Vargas seemingly finding his bat as of late, the rest of the team (aside from Meidroth and Quero anyway)= Blech!!…Robert may lead in stolen bases, but his average is still below the Mendoza line (.186/.290/ .604) OOF!!, Still very much disappointing for a guy who should be a 5 tool player and who should be a team leader in most offensive stats, not looking a rookie adjusting to the league. Meidroth and Quero are good now, lets see how they adjust to the league after it adjusts to them. Elko is apparently what he was in the minors, a strikeout victim who occasionally runs into one. Vaughn is still Vaughn (unfortunately) and aside from Smith, their starters are typically worse then better. Couple that with this weird ‘start a bullpen guy for an inning and then put the starter in’.. Man I hope this is not where baseball is trending… Never mind the bullpen is godawful as a whole as well. So the starter can get roughed up for many runs, same with the bullpen, and this team cannot hit the broadside of a barn… Yeesh… Hello 100+ losses (and while numerically better than 122, it still sucks bad)
All of this while half the inept coaching staff from the failure of the 2024 season stayed and still is present in the dugout. This is the group of coaches that are supposed to make these players better, by the way. All should have been removed and let Venable pick his own staff, to really flush out that 2024 taste, but no, they kept in guys that the Chairman likes and we see one of the factors for the continued incompetence that ruled 2024.
Heck if this team can actually put together more than a 4 game winning streak, which I think may never have occurred in 2024, Ill start to be impressed.
@nrd: Sorry, meant Vargas, typed Vasquez. They lost 121 last year, not 122–a technicality of course, but it means they did *not* have a worse record than the 1962 Mets…You’re right, we have to see if the new players can succeed over a longer period, I think they can…Certainly the team looks sharper on both sides of the ball than it did last year, and Venable is a big improvement over the hapless Grifol. Seee what you think after this weekend.
13-3 Cubs, in game 1.
Yes, and the Sox had a defensive game more like last year–dropping pop-ups, failing to make double plays, etc. I’m glad to be wrong, so far.
oof, 6 runs given up by the Smith who really is the Sox current ace at this point, though only one earned… yeesh..
Ill say the silver lining though is Vargas 4 for 4 and not just nothing, nothing, nothing, 4-4, but he has been more consistently good with the bat lately.. Even though its still early in the season It looks like maybe something finally has clicked with him over the past what 6 7 games?
.Too bad the Sox will likely trade him for more ‘rebuilding pieces.’.
I think they will hold on to Vargas–he IS a rebuilding piece. Came over in the Kopech trade?
Cubs 7
SOX 3
Looks like a probable sweep, the other way.
Your mouth to God’s ears…The Cubs left the population of a small country on the bases today, an ominous sign.
Cubs 6
SOX 2
Cubs sweep. I saw what you did there. Reverse jinx!
I’ll be watching my favorite team, and my second favorite team, on June 6, @ Comerica!
Vagisil. I wonder how often he’s heard it said like that in his life
Super stoked!! Welcome back Gage!
I’m glad he is back as a Tiger and I bet he is too. Now needs to work on cutting the strikeouts. Detroit has serviceable 3b players but he could work himself into the position full time if he can keep hitting and cut the strikeouts.
Busy day for the Mud Hens as first Jung gets sent back down and Workman is return to the Tigers and assigned there. Good luck to both of them and hopefully they can figure it out to get back to the Majors soon
If this ballplayer thing doesn’t work out, he can change his name to Woke Gorgedman.
Why? Only great things could arise from that.
Wage Workerman, is what I always see
I am very happy to have him back. He hit .280 his first year giving up switch hitting. His glove is solid & was the 3b in AZ with Torkelson so he’s got potential. I like him more than Kreidler who simply can’t hit. Two months in the big leagues jumping from AA isn’t enough data to render him a 4A player. How about saying “Cubs saw enough of his potential to use a Rule 5” He actually started out okay but going fm AA is extremely harder than a pitcher who can pitch mop up all year.
How has nobody mentioned yet that his middle name is “Tater?”
Your training is almost complete, young Padawan. You now have journeyman accomplished. Now, all that remains is to cut down on your strikeouts because you’re not going to be a 40 HR corner infielder. Like you’re trying to be because you know that’s what they usually prefer.
On a separate note, I’m curious as to where they’ll move Javy once Meadows comes back and now Jung isn’t on 26. I’m assuming 3B?
Glad to see him back. No expense. Can only move up from here.
A comma after “evidently” is incorrect.