Chicago White Sox – MLB Trade Rumors

White Sox Sign Michael Saunders To Minor League Deal

2018-05-21T20:29:11Z

Veteran outfielder Michael Saunders has signed a minor league contract with the White Sox, according to an announcement from the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. He’s on the active roster for today’s game. Saunders, who recently opted out of a minor league pact with the Orioles, is represented by Meister Sports Management.

Saunders, 31, had a tough time with Baltimore’s top affiliate, logging a paltry .161/.291/.253 batting line with a homer, three doubles, a triple and two steals in 103 plate appearances. He struck out 23 times while playing with Norfolk though did still show a decent recognition of the strike zone, drawing 16 walks as well.

It’s been a steep decline for Saunders, a 2016 All-Star with the Blue Jays. The Canadian-born outfielder wore down in the second half of that season and endured similar struggles with the 2017 Phillies after signing a one-year deal as a free agent.

Saunders was a top prospect with the Mariners and, in addition to his terrific first half in 2016 showed strong potential in Seattle on multiple occasions. Injuries, however, have been an ongoing issue throughout his career. Most recently, he missed the majority of the 2015 season after suffering a torn meniscus in Spring Training that required surgery. Saunders has also dealt with shoulder injuries and missed time due to an oblique issue in the Majors as well. He’ll look to get back on track with a White Sox club that recently saw Nicky Delmonico land on the disabled list and is also without right fielder Avisail Garcia, which could eventually lead to some opportunities at the MLB level if he performs well with the Knights.

Joe Girardi, ChiSox Managerial Candidate?

2018-05-21T01:25:11Z

The Reds have been playing better under Jim Riggleman, but if the team does still want to make a long-term change in the dugout, Heyman hears that the team isn’t going to be spending big on a managerial salary. A new skipper will almost certainly make less than Dusty Baker’s $3.5MM annual salary when he was running the team. This could rule out a star hire like Joe Girardi, who impressed Reds ownership when he interviewed for the job prior to Baker’s hiring. Interestingly, Heyman believes that Girardi — an Illinois native — could be a candidate if the White Sox decided to make a managerial change, though there isn’t any indication that the Sox are considering moving on from Rick Renteria. That scenario would have a strong echo of Renteria’s last managerial job, when he stewarded the Cubs through some rebuilding years before being replaced by another star manager in Joe Maddon.

[SOURCE LINK]

Cafardo: White Sox "Likely" To Trade Jose Abreu

2018-05-20T21:59:51Z

First baseman Jose Abreu is “likely” to be the next player the White Sox trade, Cafardo writes. Even though the White Sox are rebuilding, they’ve continued to hold on to the 31-year-old Abreu, in part because he has emerged as a key mentor to their young players. Abreu would figure to garner interest from contenders, though, considering he’s having another big offensive season (.294/.366/.518 with eight HRs in 183 plate appearances) and under wraps through 2019.

[SOURCE LINK]

Avisail Garcia Out For At Least Another Month

2018-05-20T20:15:10Z

White Sox right fielder Avisail Garcia likely won’t return to game action until the end of June, the team announced. Garcia, who has been out since April 24 with a strained right hamstring, underwent an MRI “that revealed improvement but the continued presence of a grade 2 strain,” per the club. On the heels of a terrific 2017, Garcia looked like a potential trade chip entering this season. However, between Garcia’s lengthy absence and the fact that he opened 2018 with a .233/.250/.315 line and no walks in 76 pre-injury plate appearances, his trade value has likely taken a sizable hit this year.

White Sox Lose Nicky Delmonico To Fractured Hand, Option Carson Fulmer

2018-05-19T05:05:57Z

White Sox outfielder Nicky Delmonico has been diagnosed with a fracture to the third metacarpal on his right hand, the club announced. Additionally, the team has elected to option righty Carson Fulmer after another rough outing tonight, as James Fegan of The Athletic was among those to tweet.

Delmonico is expected to miss approximately four to six weeks of action. The 25-year-old had turned in quite a promising debut effort in 2017. But he was struggling along with most of the rest of his team in the current campaign. Through 133 plate appearances, he carries only a .226/.331/.304 slash with 133 plate appearances.

That’ll put the organization’s outfield depth to the test, with Avisail Garcia already sidelined. Daniel Palka and Trayce Thompson could function in a platoon. The other options on the 40-man roster are Charlie Tilson and Ryan Cordell, though neither has hit well at all this year at Triple-A.

As for Fulmer, his outing today — which included eight earned runs and five walks in two innings — was just the latest sign of trouble. The former first-round pick has now allowed 29 earned runs with an unsightly 29:24 K/BB ratio in 32 1/3 innings on the year. He’s allowing home runs in bunches and generating a mediocre 6.7% swinging-strike rate, so there’s really not much in the way of positives at this point. Of course, he’s still just 24 years of age, so the Sox will hope he can still tap into his promise after some time at Triple-A.

Reynaldo Lopez Performing Well For White Sox

2018-05-15T18:45:54Z

The White Sox are going through some predictable growing pains, but as Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune writes, righty Reynaldo Lopez has certainly been effective to this point. Lopez carries a 2.44 ERA through 44 1/3 innings, which is a nice development for a 24-year-old hurler who has long shown promise — but who has also faced questions as to whether he’d ultimately end up in a bullpen role. Of course, it’s worth withholding judgment on his long-term outlook. While Lopez may well end up being the South Siders’ All-Star representative, his good results have not been supported by the underlying numbers. Lopez has been exceedingly fortunate on batted balls (.372 xwOBA vs. .280 wOBA; .202 BABIP) and has not excelled in terms of strikeouts (6.3 K/9), walks (3.9 BB/9), home runs (1.22 HR/9) or groundballs (30.0%). Perhaps he’ll find a way to continue capitalizing on his talent, but it seems Lopez will need to make adjustments to maintain anything approaching his current output.

Jose Abreu Hopes To Spend Career With White Sox

2018-05-12T23:31:45Z

Even though the White Sox own the majors’ worst record (9-26), first baseman Jose Abreu tells Scott Merkin of MLB.com that he supports Chicago’s rebuilding effort and would like to remain with the team for the rest of his career. “Of course, there is not any doubt about it,” the 31-year-old said through an interpreter. “My mom and dad, they taught me to always be grateful, and I’m really grateful for this organization because of all the things they have done for me and the opportunities they gave me.” The White Sox are the only major league franchise Abreu has known since emigrating from Cuba in 2013 for a six-year, $68MM guarantee. Since then, not only has Abreu delivered positive on-field results for the Sox, but he has emerged as a key leader for the young team, according to vice president Ken Williams. “He’s like having an extra coach on hand,” said Williams. “I cannot overstate the quality person that he is. I hope he really hears and understands how we feel about him.” If the White Sox continue to elect against trading Abreu, they’ll soon have a decision to make on whether to extend him. Although Abreu only has one more year of arbitration eligibility left after the current season, Merkin suggests there haven’t been contract talks between him and the club.

White Sox Sign Johnny Giavotella

2018-05-12T20:22:52Z

The White Sox have signed free-agent second baseman Johnny Giavotella, according to an announcement from Birmingham, their Double-A affiliate. Giavotella will begin his White Sox tenure in Birmingham.

The 30-year-old Giavotella had been available since the Marlins released him May 3, which came after he batted .214/.389/.250 in 36 plate appearances with their Triple-A team. He also spent nearly all of last season at Triple-A (with the Orioles’ affiliate), where he hit a solid .306/.368/.441 in 379 PAs.

While Giavotella hasn’t been a factor in the majors lately, he did see extensive action at times with the Royals and Angels from 2011-16. In all, the righty-swinger has taken 1,344 trips to the plate at the game’s highest level and hit .255/.294/.359.

With his new organization, Giavotella will begin as minors depth for a club missing its star second baseman, Yoan Moncada, who landed on the disabled list last weekend on account of hamstring tightness. The White Sox have since turned to Jose Rondon, Leury Garcia and Yolmer Sanchez at the keystone.

White Sox Release Jorge Rondon

2018-05-11T15:40:32Z

Right-hander Jorge Rondon was released from the White Sox’ Double-A affiliate in Birmingham, per the Southern League transactions log. The 30-year-old Rondon tossed 19 innings in the Majors between the Pirates, Cardinals, Rockies and Orioles from 2014-16, though he struggled at each stop and allowed 28 runs with a 13-to-11 K/BB ratio in just 19 innings at the game’s top level. Rondon has a career 2.81 ERA in 263 innings at the Triple-A level, but he’s never missed all that many bats (6.8 K/9 in AAA) and was off to a fairly pedestrian start to his 2018 campaign (14-to-8 K/BB ratio, 13 hits allowed, 4.85 ERA in 13 innings).

White Sox Prospect Jake Burger Re-Tears Achilles

2018-05-09T15:59:06Z

White Sox prospect Jake Burger has re-torn his Achilles tendon, GM Rick Hahn tells reporters including Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter links). The recent first-round pick was rehabbing a prior tear that occurred in late February.

Burger was already down for the year, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a significant new development in its own right. He will now have to start over in his rehab after undergoing a second surgical replacement. With a full-year absence required, that means there’s little hope that Burger will be ready for the start of the 2019 season.

Clearly, the 22-year-old was not going to be a part of the immediate plans for the Chicago organization even before the initial injury. But the successive procedures don’t exactly help his long-term outlook, though at this point there’s no reason to believe he can’t get back to full health.

The White Sox will ultimately have to wait quite a bit longer than originally anticipated to see a contribution from Burger, the 11th overall pick last summer out of Missouri State. He hit at a .263/.336/.412 rate in his 217 innings in the low minors last year, so clearly was still in need of significant seasoning. Now, he’ll need to work through quite a lengthy rehab process before re-starting his march toward the majors.

Will Adam Engel Stick With The Sox?

2018-05-09T02:10:03Z

MLB.com’s Scott Merkin tackles several White Sox questions in his latest reader inbox, kicking off by discussing Adam Engel’s spot with the club moving forward. Per Merkin, the organization believes that Engel’s blistering speed gives him the potential for elite range in center field, but GM Rick Hahn has also been “forthright” in stating that the 26-year-old will need to produce more at the plate if he is to have any sort of long-term role with the team. The ChiSox have given Engel 423 plate appearances dating back to Opening Day 2017, but he’s posted a miserable .167/.237/.271 slash with a 33 percent strikeout rate in that time.

Mets Expect To Trade Matt Harvey

2018-05-08T21:22:27Z

May 8: The Mets have been trying to add a catcher in return for Harvey, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link). Puma adds that the Padres are also in the mix for Harvey.

May 7: The Mets are “confident” they will strike a deal involving righty Matt Harvey, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). At this point, says Rosenthal, there are “four to five teams interested” in taking a chance on the former ace.

Harvey was formally designated for assignment on May 5th, meaning his situation will be resolved one way or another by Saturday the 12th. If he’s not traded, Harvey would need to go onto waivers; if he were then to pass through unclaimed, he’d hit the open market (whether by release or by rejecting an outright assignment).

We checked in earlier today on some teams with varying degrees of interest in Harvey. The Giants seem clearly to be involved, though their interest level isn’t clear. (Andy Martino of SNY.tv tweets there’s “very strong” interest, while MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (via Twitter) that it’s much more tepid, with some significant roadblocks to a swap.) Martino adds the Reds as a possibility, joining the previously reported Mariners in that regard. And Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets that the White Sox are also in the mix. There’s some uncertainty about the status of the Orioles, but they are among the organizations that would make some degree of sense on paper.

Of course, we’ve also seen plenty of reports of other teams that will not be in on the 29-year-old. It appears the Rangers have decided against pursuing Harvey in a trade scenario despite giving it serious consideration. Otherwise, the Rays, Tigers, Red Sox, and Yankees are said not to be involved.

If a deal does, in fact, get done, Rosenthal says not to expect the Mets to shave away much salary. With something on the order of $4.5MM still owed to Harvey for the rest of the season, the New York organization anticipates paying the “vast majority” in hopes of securing “something in return” in a deal.

Reading the tea leaves, then, the Mets aren’t really looking for a MLB asset back that might offset some of the Harvey commitment. It’s possible the team will be able to find another organization willing to give a bit of young talent, but it’ll take deft work for GM Sandy Alderson to achieve significant value.

Harvey, after all, has managed only a 5.93 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in his 212 1/3 innings since the start of the 2016 season. His velocity has continued to trail off as the arm injuries have mounted. As outstanding as he was before a procedure to address thoracic outlet syndrome, Harvey has struggled badly ever since.

Clearly, some front offices around the game still think that Harvey can at least deliver some useful innings from the back of a rotation. Just what they’ll give up to find out remains to be seen.

Danny Farquhar Discharged From Hospital

2018-05-07T21:09:33Z

The White Sox announced this afternoon that right-hander Danny Farquhar has been discharged from RUSH University Medical Center. He’s resting at home with his family, per the update. While that’s tremendous news in and of itself, the Sox’ press release also indicates that while Farquhar will not pitch again in 2018, his neurosurgeon expects that he’ll be able to return to pitching in the future.

Farquhar, 31, endured one of the most frightening medical ordeals in recent memory when he collapsed in the dugout following a relief appearance last month. He was rushed to the hospital, where it was determined that he’d suffered a brain hemorrhage due to a ruptured brain aneurysm. Best wishes to Farquhar in his continued recovery, and here’s hoping for a return to the mound in the future.

White Sox Place Yoan Moncada On 10-Day DL

2018-05-05T19:55:03Z

The White Sox have placed young second baseman Yoan Moncada on the 10-day DL, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced by fellow infielder Jose Rondon.

At the moment, it does not seem as if there’s much reason to expect a lengthy absence for Moncada. He has been diagnosed with hamstring tightness, an issue that has forced him out of two recent ballgames. But Moncada said yesterday that he felt he’d only need a few days off, as James Fegan of The Athletic tweeted.

It’s certainly understandable that the Sox would take a conservative course with Moncada, who’ll turn 23 later this month. He’s off to a strong start, turning in 132 plate appearances of .263/.359/.509 hitting with six home runs and four stolen bases. Moncada has also graded as a positive overall with the glove and on the bases.

That output does come with a worrisome 37.1% strikeout rate for a player who’ll probably always swing and miss a fair bit. Though he’s also walking in 12.9% of his plate appearances, Moncada surely won’t maintain a .407 batting average on balls in play. Of course, it’s certainly worth noting as well that he’s legitimately stinging the ball when he does make contact, with a 95.0 mph average exit velocity that’s among the best in baseball.

The 24-year-old Rondon, meanwhile, will get his second crack at the majors after a brief call-up with the Padres in 2016. He has been off to a nice start at Triple-A, turning in a .290/.347/.473 slash, though he’s also striking out at a significantly higher rate (24.8%) than he has in prior seasons as a professional. Rondon came to Chicago in a swap with the Friars in January of this year.

AL Central Notes: Farquhar, Romero, Goody, Soler

2018-05-05T15:06:45Z

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports shares details of the long road ahead for White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar after the right-hander suffered a recent brain aneurysm. The incident occurred in the Sox dugout just under two weeks ago following an outing against Houston, and caused Farquhar to be hospitalized in what was a scary few hours. As Passan notes, 40% of people who suffer a brain aneurysm don’t survive them, while half of those who survive end up with resulting disabilities. He adds that success in the early stages afterwards is measured in small improvements. Farquhar’s agent says he’s been progressing and has a positive outlook. It’s fair to think it’ll be a significant amount of time before Farquhar is able to pick up a baseball again, but the early signs are encouraging for the right-hander’s health. Passan’s lengthy piece also details some historical precedents for aneurysms in baseball players, as well as the adversity Farquhar has already overcome in his seven-year MLB career. We at MLBTR are relieved to hear that Farquhar is stable, and wish him the best of fortunes in the road to recovery.

Other items from around the AL Central…

Speaking of close calls, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press has a story from Twins rookie Fernando Romero’s past, when the right-hander almost drowned in a hotel pool. It took a while for Romero to gradually overcome his fear of swimming, but he now uses it as a conditioning method to strengthen his shoulder for pitching purposes. Berardino also tells the tale of how Romero nearly went unsigned for an entire international period, failing to receive an offer from any of the 50 scouts in attendance at a showcase. The main knock on him was lack of a “major league body”, and a perceived likelihood that he’d get hurt. Ultimately Romero found his way to the Perfect Game Tournament, where several more scouts were in attendance, and while the Astros made a strong run at him, he ultimately went to the Twins for a signing bonus of $260K.
According to Terry Francona (via a tweet from Jordan Bastian of MLB.com), it’s best-case scenario outcome for Indians reliever Nick Goody, who left the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader with an elbow injury. Tests have revealed no structural damage; it’s thought that Goody’s pain was the result of hyperextending his elbow. He’ll reportedly be shut down for a week and then re-evaluated. It’s a sigh of relief when considering the worst-case scenarios in an elbow-fearing pitching climate; it’s well-known that ligament injuries can result in 12-18 month absences. Goody’s a vital part of a Tribe bullpen that’s recently shuffled through a few low-upside relievers; they’ve designated both Matt Belisle and Jeff Beliveau for assignment in the past week and before that lost Andrew Miller to the DL with a hamstring injury.
Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tells readers about the plate discipline improvements made by Royals outfielder Jorge Soler. In stark contrast to last season, he’s already drawn 18 walks and has seen 4.46 pitches per plate appearance. His .309/.429/.526 slash line on the season is exactly what Kansas City envisioned when they acquired him from the Cubs prior to last season in exchange for closer Wade Davis. Manager Ned Yost credits the improvements to the fact that Soler is “not chasing much of anything”, though it’s certainly worth noting that his chase rate this year is in line with his typically low figures the past few seasons and therefore not indicative of any major changes. I’d add, though, that Soler is certainly seeing more pitches per plate appearance than he did during his injury-riddled 2017 campaign; he’s seen 4.26 PPPA so far, up from 3.99 last season.

White Sox Select Dylan Covey’s Contract

2018-04-28T22:11:52Z

The White Sox have selected the contract of right-hander Dylan Covey, whom they outrighted off their 40-man roster over the winter. Covey will start against the Royals tonight, and he’ll take fellow righty Gregory Infante’s place on the club’s 25-man roster. Infante’s headed to Triple-A Charlotte.

Covey, 26, joined the Chicago organization as a Rule 5 pick from the Athletics in December 2016. He ended up spending nearly all of last season as a major leaguer with the White Sox, though he struggled to a 7.71 ERA/7.20 FIP with 5.27 K/9, 4.37 BB/9 and a 48.5 percent groundball rate across 70 innings (18 appearances, 12 starts).

While Covey has posted a terrific 2.95 ERA and an outstanding 58.6 percent grounder rate in 21 1/3 innings (four starts) at the minors’ highest level this year, he managed less encouraging strikeout and walk rates before his promotion. Covey has logged 6.75 K/9 against 5.48 BB/9 thus far, helping lead to an ugly 5.15 FIP.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/26/18

2018-04-26T21:56:04Z

Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the game…

The Pirates have traded minor league outfielder Todd Cunningham to the White Sox, per a club announcement. John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com first broke news of the trade (via Twitter). The Bucs will receive a player to be named later in return. The 29-year-old Cunningham spent parts of three seasons in the Majors with the Braves (2013, 2015) and Angels (2016) but struggled to a .207/.256/.264 slash through 130 plate appearances. He’s off to a rough start in Triple-A this season but turned in an excellent .284/.404/.414 batting line in 358 plate appearances between the Cardinals’ and Dodgers’ top affiliates in 2017. In all, the 2010 second-round pick is a career .274/.356/.372 hitter in nearly 2200 Triple-A plate appearances.

White Sox Outright Casey Gillaspie

2018-04-26T18:33:22Z

The White Sox have outrighted first baseman Casey Gillaspie, per a club announcement. That opens a spot on the 40-man roster that has yet to be filled.

Gillaspie, a former first-round pick of the Rays back in 2014, was acquired last summer in the deal that sent Dan Jennings to Tampa Bay. The South Siders placed Gillaspie on the 40-man roster over the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Since the start of 2017, however, the switch-hitting Gillaspie has mostly struggled. He is off to a miserable .214/.263/.229 start at the plate this year at Triple-A Charlotte, with 29 strikeouts and no home runs through 76 trips to the dish.

White Sox Place Avisail Garcia On 10-Day DL, Promote Daniel Palka

2018-04-25T02:36:26Z

9:36pm: White Sox GM Rick Hahn classified the strain as “mild to moderate,” tweets Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago. While it seems that Garcia has at least avoided a significant injury, Hahn added that he’s not sure how much time Garcia can be expected to miss at present.

11:21am: The White Sox have placed outfielder Avisail Garcia on the 10-day DL with a strained right hamstring, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced by Daniel Palka, who gets his first call to the majors.

Garcia, 26, left last night’s contest in visible pain, so it’s no surprise to see this placement. The severity of the strain is not yet known; his anticipated timeline could vary quite a lot depending upon the particulars.

The time on the shelf will come after a brutal start to the season for Garcia, who is hitting just .233/.250/.315 and has yet to draw a walk in 76 plate appearances. That’s particularly disappointing after a 2017 season in which he had finally broken through with a .330/.380/.506 slash and 18 home runs after years of showing hints but never fully coming around.

Last year’s output came with a caveat, to some extent, as Garcia rode a .392 batting average on balls in play. Though he has long fared well in that department, it was obviously an unsustainable level.

That said, whatever good fortune he benefited from in 2017 has thus far been repayed with bad luck. Sustaining top-end production without drawing many walks will always be a challenge, but there ought to be some positive regression to come. Garcia has struck the ball well in 2018 despite the poor outcomes, with a .345 xwOBA that lags his actual .244 wOBA by a yawning margin.

While the White Sox await Garcia’s return — hopefully, in time to present as a potential trade candidate this summer — they’ll take a look at Palka, who was claimed off waivers from the division-rival Twins last fall. He’s off to a good start at Triple-A, where he’s slashing .286/.384/.476 with three home runs over 73 trips to the plate.

White Sox Place Miguel Gonzalez On 10-Day DL, Transfer Danny Farquhar To 60-Day DL

2018-04-23T17:11:41Z

The White Sox announced on Monday that they’ve placed right-hander Miguel Gonzalez on the 10-day DL and selected the contract of right-hander Chris Beck from Triple-A Charotte. Right-hander Danny Farquhar, who was hospitalized over the weekend in a terrifying scene after collapsing in the dugout due to a brain aneurysm, has been moved from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list in order to open a roster spot for Beck.

The health and well-being of Farquhar, at present, is the greatest concern in the otherwise small sequence of roster moves. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote over the weekend that Farquhar is in stable but critical condition after undergoing multiple surgeries this weekend, adding that the right-hander will be hospitalized for at least the next three weeks following the career-threatening medical emergency.

We pointed our readers to Nightengale’s column last night, but it’s well worth a look for those who have yet to read. It’s filled with quotes from current and former teammates of Farquhar and some harrowing details on the past 72 hours for a right-hander who, by all accounts, has been beloved in each clubhouse of which he’s been a part. I’ll echo sentiments from other members of the MLBTR staff in sending best wishes to Farquhar and his family as the baseball world hopes for a full recovery.

Turning to the shorter-term roster moves in today’s announcement, Gonzalez will be out for at least the next week (the move is retroactive to April 19) due to inflammation in his right rotator cuff. The Sox didn’t provide any sort of timeline on his injury, though there’s no indication at present that the injury is serious.

Beck, 27, will get another look with the ChiSox after previously being outrighted off the 40-man roster. A second-round pick back in 2012, he’s seen time in the Chicago bullpen in each of the past three seasons but never logged an ERA south of 6.00. Beck throws hard, averaging 95 mph on his fastball in 64 innings last year, but that hasn’t translated to much in terms of strikeouts in the Majors. In 96 big league frames, he has a meager 42-to-34 K/BB ratio. He’s off to a fast start in Triple-A this year, however, with just two runs allowed and a 13-to-3 K/BB ratio in nine innings pitched.

White Sox Notes: Farquhar Update, Adolfo

2018-04-23T13:30:46Z

White Sox right-hander Danny Farquhar will remain in hospital for at least the next three weeks after undergoing surgery last night to relieve swelling around his brain, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. Farquhar is in critical but stable condition as he recovers from a ruptured aneurysm, suffered on Friday when he was in the team’s dugout following a pitching appearance. A team source tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that specific information about the treatment isn’t being released at the request of Farquhar’s family. Both pieces from Nightengale and Sullivan contain much praise and best wishes for Farquhar from several teammates past and present, a testament to what a popular and respected figure Farquhar has been over his 11 pro seasons. We here at MLB Trade Rumors join the rest of the baseball world in wishing Farquhar and his family all the best in the recovery process.

White Sox prospect Micker Adolfo will soon receive another MRI to check on his UCL sprain and a flexor tendon strain, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports. The results could still potentially require a season-ending surgery, even though Aldolfo has been playing (only as a DH) and hitting well despite the injuries, carrying a .328/.392/.552 slash line over his first 74 PA for Chicago’s high-A ball affiliate. “I don’t feel anything [sore] when I’m hitting or lifting weights. Hopefully that’s a good sign that it’s getting better,” Adolfo said. The 21-year-old was originally diagnosed with the injury in February and missed much of Spring Training, though the missed time hasn’t kept him from a hot start to the season.

Quick Hits: Farquhar, Machado, Cardinals, Duffy

2018-04-21T21:38:05Z

White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar has been placed on the 10-day disabled list after passing out in the club’s dugout. According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, the sudden collapse was caused by a brain aneurysm. He was immediately hospitalized following the incident, and is currently in stable but critical condition. We at MLBTR will be keeping Farquhar in our thoughts during what is certainly a scary situation.

More notes from around MLB…

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports suggests that the White Sox could be a team to watch in the upcoming Manny Machado sweepstakes this offseason. A rival GM tells Heyman that the Sox could be a “dark horse” to sign the superstar shortstop. Concurrent with this rumor, via Heyman, is the pattern of owner Jerry Reinsdorf being occasionally willing to make a big splash in the free agent market (though I’d like to point out that they’ve never made a splash of anything close to this size).
A pair of Cardinals relievers are making progress in their returns from injury, which would provide a welcome cavalry to the club’s bullpen. Left-hander Ryan Sherriff is scheduled to throw a live bullpen session on Wednesday at Triple-A Memphis, according to Joe Trezza of MLB.com. He’s currently still wearing a metal shank in his shoe under the fractured toe in order to protect it. Meanwhile, Trezza adds, righty Sam Tuivailala threw two bullpen sessions this week, and will throw a third one tomorrow. The downside of these imminent returns is that the Cardinals will be facing a difficult roster decision when they decide to activate these two relievers.
Bill Chastain of MLB.com tweets that Rays third baseman Matt Duffy is “cautiously optimistic” that he’ll be able to be activated from the 10-day disabled list when he’s first eligible on April 27th. He did some soft-toss hitting yesterday along with a few throwing drills, and is progressing nicely in an attempt to return quickly from a hamstring injury suffered in Monday’s game.

Injury Notes: Warren, Farquhar, Mancini, Rodon

2018-04-21T18:58:30Z

The Yankees announced today that they’ve placed right-hander Adam Warren on the 10-day disabled list with a back strain. The move comes in conjunction with the promotion of fellow righty Jonathan Holder, who’s being called upon to reinforce the bullpen. It’s yet another unfortunate development for a Yankees team that’s seeing its disabled list grow larger and larger; notable players among that number already include Tommy Kahnle, Greg Bird, Brandon Drury, Clint Frazier and Jacoby Ellsbury. The club is already facing harsh criticism from its fans and the city’s media outlets for its mediocre start, particularly in comparison to the division rival Red Sox, who are off to a historically hot 17-2 start. The growing list of injuries certainly won’t help their situation.

More injury-related items from around baseball…

In a still-developing situation, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports tweets that White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar has been hospitalized and is undergoing a series of tests. According to Nightengale, there’s a possibility that Farquhar has a serious injury following passing out in the club’s dugout. We’ll have more in this unfortunate and scary situation as it continues to develop.
James Fegan of The Athletic notes in his latest piece that White Sox right-hander Carlos Rodon is set to begin pitching some games in extended spring training soon. Rodon hasn’t pitched since undergoing an arthroscopic shoulder surgery late last year, but he’s reportedly set to throw a sideline session with pitching coach Don Cooper at some point this weekend before heading back to Arizona. His presence will certainly be a boost to a largely-inexperienced White Sox rotation that’s posted a 5.99 ERA so far this season.
According to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun, Orioles slugger Trey Mancini’s knee is still “really swollen” after colliding with the wall in foul ground during yesterday’s game. X-rays and a CT scan came back negative, so Mancini and the Orioles are hopeful that he can avoid a DL stint and return to the lineup in a few days’ time. He’ll sit out today’s contest against the Indians, however.

White Sox Acquire Trayce Thompson

2018-04-20T00:27:57Z

The White Sox have announced the acquisition of outfielder Trayce Thompson from the Athletics. Cash or a player to be named later will head in return.

This move explains the team’s other just-announced transaction, as Thompson will require a 40-man spot. It’s the third time Thompson has changed uniforms since the start of April. He entered the month in DFA limbo after being dropped from the Dodgers’ 40-man and then moved to the Yankees and on to the A’s.

The result is that the 27-year-old will land back where things began for him back in 2009, when the Sox chose him in the second round of the amateur draft. He first reached the majors with the Chicago organization back in 2015 and since then has compiled a cumulative .232/.307/.440 batting line in 459 total plate appearances.

Brewers Acquire Tyler Saladino, Designate Alec Asher

2018-04-20T15:54:32Z

The Brewers have acquired infielder Tyler Saladino from the White Sox, per a club announcement. Cash will go to Chicago in the swap.

Milwaukee has designated recently acquired righty Alec Asher for assignment to create roster space. He’ll either continue his tour of the league via waiver wire or end up finally clearing and being outrighted. To this point in the season, Asher has already been placed on waivers by both the Orioles and Dodgers, though he’s obviously yet to clear.

Saladino, 28, has been a heavily used reserve on the South Side since the start of the 2015 season. He has had his moments, particularly during a solid 2016 campaign, but in the aggregate has only managed a .231/.281/.330 slash in 863 total plate appearances. Of course, he’s valued more for his versatile fielding ability and will provide the Brewers organization with some depth in that regard. Saladino has played all over the infield in addition to cameos at all three outfield spots. Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating are particularly bullish on his work at second base and third base, though he’s no stranger to shortstop, either, having logged 429 big league innings there.

[Related: Updated Brewers depth chart and White Sox depth chart]

Saladino entered the season with two years, 87 days of Major League service time, meaning he’ll likely be arbitration eligible if he spends any meaningful amount of time on the Brewers’ Major League roster. He does have two minor league option seasons remaining (including 2018), though, so it’s possible that he still falls shy.

White Sox Notes: Jimenez, Cordell

2018-04-19T18:30:34Z

News on fellow White Sox outfield prospect Ryan Cordell is less encouraging than the Jimenez update; Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago tweeted this week that the 26-year-old Cordell is expected to miss at least eight weeks after suffering a fractured collarbone. Cordell, acquired in the trade that sent Anthony Swarzak to the Brewers last summer, had a monster performance in Spring Training but had gotten off to a slow start in Triple-A Charlotte this year. Injuries have slowed Cordell’s path to the big leagues considerably in recent seasons, but he’s on the 40-man roster and had been viewed as a prospect likely to make his big league debut this season before this latest setback. It’s possible, of course, that Cordell recovers and appears for the ChiSox later this season.

The White Sox announced that top prospect Eloy Jimenez has recovered from the pectoral strain that sidelined him to open the season, and he’ll head to Double-A Birmingham in place of the recently released Courtney Hawkins. As James Fegan of The Athletic writes, the release of Hawkins makes it all the more likely that Chicago’s 2012 draft will prove to yield little to no value at the big league level. But, the Sox also now boast considerably stronger outfield depth in Class-A Advanced and in Double-A, representing a noted turnaround from recent seasons. Jimenez made an 18-game cameo in Double-A last season but figures to spend a greater chunk of time there, as well as some time in Triple-A, before being moved up to the big league level.
News on fellow White Sox outfield prospect Ryan Cordell is less encouraging than the Jimenez update; Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago tweeted this week that the 26-year-old Cordell is expected to miss at least eight weeks after suffering a fractured collarbone. Cordell, acquired in the trade that sent Anthony Swarzak to the Brewers last summer, had a monster performance in Spring Training but had gotten off to a slow start in Triple-A Charlotte this year. Injuries have slowed Cordell’s path to the big leagues considerably in recent seasons, but he’s on the 40-man roster and had been viewed as a prospect likely to make his big league debut this season before this latest setback. It’s possible, of course, that Cordell recovers and appears for the ChiSox later this season.

White Sox Release Courtney Hawkins

2018-04-19T16:52:40Z

The White Sox released former first-round pick Courtney Hawkins yesterday, as first tweeted by FutureSox.com. Now 24 years old, Hawkins was the 13th overall pick of the 2012 draft. The outfielder, who endeared himself to many fans with his draft-day backflip, showed promise through the Class-A Advanced level but has seen his bat stall out in several attempts in Double-A. Hawkins has spent parts of the past four seasons (including 2018) with Chicago’s affiliate in Birmingham, Ala. but has slashed just .209/.265/.355 in 1136 plate appearances there.

White Sox Select Contract Of Chris Volstad

2018-04-12T15:46:42Z

The White Sox announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of veteran righty Chris Volstad from Triple-A Charlotte. He’ll join the pitching staff tonight, with left-hander Carlos Rodon shifting from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL to create a spot on the 40-man roster. Chicago already announced after yesterday’s game that right-handed reliever Gregory Infante had been optioned to Charlotte, so Volstad will take his place in the bullpen for now.

This’ll be Volstad’s second run in the Majors with the South Siders, as he logged 19 1/3 innings for the Sox last season and recorded a 4.66 ERA with a 10-to-5 K/BB ratio. The 2018 season actually represents Volstad’s third consecutive year with the White Sox organization, as he also spent the entirety of the 2016 season pitching for Triple-A Charlotte.

Now 31 years of age, Volstad debuted as a 21-year-old with the 2008 Marlins and impressed with a 2.88 ERA across his first 84 1/3 innings, though his 5.5 K/9 rate and 3.8 BB/9 mark prompted metrics like FIP, xFIP and SIERA to forecast a more pessimistic outlook. Volstad would go on to tally 584 innings for the then-Florida Marlins from 2008-11, working to a collective 4.59 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 before being traded to the Cubs in the 2012 deal that sent Carlos Zambrano to Miami.

Volstad’s one season with the Cubs was a disaster, and he’s since bounced around the game, seeing MLB time with the Rockies and Pirates, Triple-A time with the Angels and spending a season with the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization.

As for Rodon, the move to the 60-day DL looks to be largely a formality. He opened the season on the 10-day DL while recovering from shoulder surgery that he underwent late last September and has been working his way back toward a big league return. At last check, GM Rick Hahn suggested that a late-May return could be a best-case scenario for Rodon, so he wasn’t expected to be activated in the near future anyhow. Rodon’s initial placement on the DL was retroactive to March 26, meaning the earliest he can now be activated would be May 25.

White Sox Select Bruce Rondon’s Contract

2018-04-08T15:10:39Z

The White Sox announced that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Bruce Rondon in advance of today’s game against the Tigers, Rondon’s former team.

One of few players capable of reaching 102 MPH on the radar gun, the Tigers had lofty expectations for Rondon from the outset. A 2013 debut in which he pitched to a 3.45 ERA with 9.42 K/9 was certainly encouraging as well. However, Tommy John surgery prevented him from taking the mound for the entire 2014 season, and though he racked up the strikeouts big time the following year, his 2015 campaign ended with him being sent home due to “effort level“.

The righty’s tumultuous tenure with Detroit came to a close this past December, when the club elected to non-tender him rather than pay him a projected $1.2MM arbitration salary. Rondon sat on the market until February 1st, when the South Siders elected to pick him up on a minors pact. All told, Rondon’s upside lies in his velocity and his strikeout ability, but he’ll have to harness his control in order to be effective with his new team.

Offseason In Review: Chicago White Sox

2018-04-06T13:40:34Z

Though the rebuilding White Sox made bids for a few big name position players, they settled for a quiet offseason with a handful of veteran additions.

Major League Signings

Welington Castillo, C: two years, $15MM
Miguel Gonzalez, SP: one year, $4.75MM
Total spend: $19.75MM

Trades and Claims

Claimed OF Daniel Palka off waivers from Twins
Claimed RP Jose Ruiz off waivers from Padres (later outrighted to High-A)
Acquired RP Thyago Vieira from Mariners for $500K in international bonus money
Acquired RP Joakim Soria and $1MM from the Royals and RP Luis Avilan and $2MM from the Dodgers, surrendering 2B Jake Peter in the three-team deal
Acquired SS Jose Rondon from Padres for cash considerations
Acquired P Ricardo Pinto from Phillies for international bonus pool money
Acquired cash from Rangers for OF Carlos Tocci, who was taken from the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft

Notable Minor League Signings

Hector Santiago, Jeanmar Gomez, Rob Scahill, Robbie Ross, Bruce Rondon, Xavier Cedeno, Michael Ynoa, T.J. House, Chris Volstad, Patrick Leonard, Gonzalez Germen

Notable Losses

Mike Pelfrey, David Holmberg, Geovany Soto, Jake Peter, Rymer Liriano, Brad Goldberg, Rob Brantly, Zach Putnam, Al Alburquerque, Michael Ynoa

Needs Addressed

Despite entertaining several bold offseason moves, the White Sox ultimately focused on veteran placeholders in what ended up being a quiet offseason. This serves as no surprise, with the team entering the second year of a rebuilding process. The team’s signature offseason move was an upgrade at catcher with the signing of Welington Castillo in December.

After deploying an inexperienced duo of Kevan Smith and Omar Narvaez behind the dish last year, the soon-to-be 31-year-old Castillo was imported on a two-year free agent contract. Castillo, who started his career in the Cubs organization, adds pop to the lineup and a veteran presence for a rotation with three members under the age of 25 (in addition to several young arms looming in the upper minors).

In January, the Sox re-signed veteran starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez, who made 45 starts for them from 2016-17 until being dealt to the Rangers at the end of August. Gonzalez’s job, much like fellow rotation-mate James Shields, is to take the ball every fifth day until he’s nudged out by top pitching prospect Michael Kopech.

Improving the team’s bullpen was a stated desire for White Sox GM Rick Hahn, and he accomplished this mainly through one January trade. Surrendering minor league utility type Jake Peter, who had gone unclaimed in the Rule 5 draft, Hahn acquired Joakim Soria from the Royals and Luis Avilan from the Dodgers. Both veterans slot in toward the back of Chicago’s bullpen, along with holdover Nate Jones, who opened the season healthy after undergoing nerve surgery in his pitching elbow last summer. Hector Santiago, added on a minor league deal, also cracked the Opening Day bullpen. Given last summer’s trades of David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle, Anthony Swarzak, and Dan Jennings, the White Sox had to add a few veterans to the decimated ’pen.

Hahn also tinkered around the edges, adding outfielder Daniel Palka, shortstop Jose Rondon, and pitchers Thyago Vieira, Ricardo Pinto, and Jose Ruiz through trades and waiver claims. All but Ruiz remain on the 40-man roster. Pitchers Vieira and Pinto were acquired for international bonus pool space, which was of lesser value to the White Sox since they are in the $300K bonus pool penalty box for signing Luis Robert a year ago. Vieira is a live arm who has touched 102 miles per hour, and he’ll eventually be joined at Triple-A Charlotte by Pinto, who is being stretched out as a starter. Both 24-year-olds made their MLB debuts last season, and it’s possible that either or both could be up in the Majors with the Sox in 2018.

Questions Remaining

One big offseason question was whether the White Sox would trade first baseman Jose Abreu and/or right fielder Avisail Garcia. Hahn has been clear that the club is constantly making an assessment of whether to extend or eventually trade the pair, and nothing has been settled in that regard. Both are under control through 2019, but the 26-year-old Garcia may make more sense as a part of the next contending White Sox team than the 31-year-old Abreu.

Rumors suggested the Athletics, Giants, and Blue Jays were among those to check in on Garcia, while the Red Sox and others may have had dialogue regarding Abreu. Given the stagnant free agent market for many veterans, it’s no surprise Hahn found trade offers unsatisfactory. Still, with both players remaining on the South Side and no contract extensions in place, rumors figure to abound once again this summer as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches.

Hahn decided to go big game fishing around the Winter Meetings, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic describing the White Sox as the “most aggressive suitor” for Orioles shortstop/third baseman Manny Machado. Though Rosenthal said the White Sox and Orioles “discussed a package for Machado that would include either right-hander Lucas Giolito or right-hander Michael Kopech but not both,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today described the offer as “solid,” but without any top prospects.

With Machado headed to free agency after the 2018 season, it would seem that Chicago’s interest was in signing him to a massive contract extension before he could reach the open market. That was an unlikely proposition, and Machado stayed put. But it does suggest that a team that has never given out a contract bigger than Abreu’s $68MM has at least considered extending an offer perhaps four times that size to the young superstar. With 2019 payroll commitments of just $10.9MM in guaranteed contract, the White Sox could be a major player in the 2018-19 free agent market. Their previous interest in Machado, at least, seems likely to once again resurface.

More sensible than Machado was Hahn’s pursuit of outfielder Christian Yelich. The 26-year-old is under contract potentially through 2022, so the bulk of his control would have fallen within the White Sox’ targeted window of contention. It appears some kind of offer was made to the Marlins for Yelich, but Miami instead accepted a package from the Brewers headlined by Lewis Brinson. The White Sox also reportedly made some late effort to be opportunistic on Logan Morrison’s stagnant market, but he wound up with the Twins.

Despite an Opening Day payroll that settled in as the team’s lowest since 2004, the White Sox did not use their financial flexibility to purchase prospects by taking on bad contracts. That’s perhaps not in the style of owner Jerry Reinsdorf, but it’s conceivable the White Sox could have taken on dead money for players like Adrian Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir, Matt Kemp, Rusney Castillo, or Yasmany Tomas and further bolstered their farm system.

Overview

Though they carry just a 69-win projection from FanGraphs, the White Sox look to be baseball’s most interesting rebuilding team. While preseason projections inevitably come with great variability and the White Sox are loaded with upside, the South Siders would probably have to beat their forecast by about 17 wins to sneak into the playoffs as the AL’s second Wild Card. Even Hahn recently said, “I think even under the most optimistic projections of our ability to contend, certainly ’18 and ’19 don’t include the bulk of the time when we anticipate having a window open to us.” I imagine Hahn and many White Sox fans are hoping the team can nonetheless arrive early, and start contending next year.

How would you grade the offseason for the ChiSox? (Link to poll for Trade Rumors app users)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eloy Jimenez Suffers Strained Pectoral

2018-04-04T19:36:39Z

White Sox outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez strained his left pectoral muscle and will lay off baseball activities for a week, the team announced Saturday. Jimenez, whom MLB.com ranks as the game’s fourth-best prospect, previously missed two weeks in spring training on account of knee tendinitis. Although the 21-year-old Jimenez hasn’t even played above the Double-A level yet, there’s optimism he’ll debut in Chicago sometime this season. He’ll begin the year in Double-A after he works his way back in game shape via extended spring training action, per the Sox.

Carlos Rodon Could Return By Late May

2018-03-30T05:12:57Z

Meanwhile, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn provided the media with a positive update on the rehab progress of left-hander Carlos Rodon (Twitter link from Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). Rodon, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder back in September, has begun throwing sliders in his bullpen sessions, which are up to 30 to 35 pitches each, per Hahn. A return in late May isn’t out of the question, which would give the Pale Hose a rotation boost a bit sooner than they previously expected.

Phillies Acquire Dean Anna

2018-03-30T05:16:26Z

In a minor swap for an unknown return, the Phillies acquired Dean Anna from the White Sox, per Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Twitter link). The 31-year will give the Phils some infield depth, though they will surely hope not to have a need for it at the MLB level. Anna has scant MLB experience but has been playing at Triple-A since 2013. Most recently, he posted a .285/.364/.376 slash at the highest level of the minors with the Royals in 2017.

White Sox Outright Jose Ruiz

2018-03-29T18:54:24Z

The White Sox announced that right-hander Jose Ruiz has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Class-A Winston-Salem. The move drops Chicago’s 40-man roster to a total of 39 players.

The ChiSox picked up Ruiz, 23, off waivers from the Padres back in December after San Diego designated the converted catcher for assignment. Ruiz somewhat surprisingly made the sizable leap from Class-A Advanced to the Majors in 2017 season, though he only threw a single inning with the Padres’ big league club. He tossed a career-high 49 2/3 innings in 2017 with the Padres’ Class-A Advanced affiliate, struggling to a 5.98 ERA but also 8.2 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9.

Ruiz averaged better than 95 mph on his heater in his lone MLB inning, though he obviously has a ways to go in terms of honing his control and further gaining experience on the mound before he emerges as a viable big league bullpen option.

Hector Santiago Makes White Sox

2018-03-29T01:46:49Z

The White Sox have selected the contract of left-hander Hector Santiago, giving them a full 40-man roster, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times was among those to report on Twitter. In other moves, the club sent southpaw Carlos Rodon (left shoulder rehabilitation) and catcher Kevan Smith (left ankle sprain) to the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to March 26. Santiago will now officially begin his second major league stint as a member of the White Sox, with whom he started his career in 2011 and stayed with through 2013. Santiago was successful during that span, but his career has trended downward lately – particularly last season as a Twin – which prevented him from landing a major league contract over the winter. The minors deal the 30-year-old signed with Chicago includes a $2MM salary in the bigs, which he’s now in position to earn. Santiago’s a longtime starter, but he’ll open 2018 in the Sox’s bullpen.

White Sox Acquire Ricardo Pinto

2018-03-28T18:40:45Z

The White Sox have acquired righty Ricardo Pinto from the Phillies, per a club announcement. International bonus pool money of an unknown quantity will head to the Phils in the swap.

Pinto becomes the latest hurler to join the White Sox bullpen depth chart, though the odds are that he’ll open the season in the minors. The 24-year-old did not show well in his first effort at the majors but has generally been effective in the minors.

Last year, Pinto worked to a 3.86 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 60 2/3 Triple-A innings. Though he mostly functioned as a starter in prior seasons, he split his time between the rotation and bullpen in 2017. It certainly seems as if Pinto’s future hopes lie in the relief corps.

White Sox Trade Robinson Leyer To Reds

2018-03-25T01:51:07Z

The Reds have acquired right-hander Robinson Leyer from the White Sox, per Jon Heyman of FanRag. It’s not yet known what the ChiSox will receive for the 25-year-old Leyer, who debuted with their organization in 2012. Leyer spent a large portion of the previous two seasons at the Double-A level, including all of 2017, when he posted a 3.55 ERA with 9.57 K/9, 5.09 BB/9 and a 37.3 percent groundball rate in 58 1/3 innings.

White Sox Set Rotation

2018-03-25T13:48:38Z

Like Milwaukee, the White Sox have also established their rotation for the beginning of the season. Righty Carson Fulmer has beaten out lefty Hector Santiago (who’s likely to stick around as a long reliever) for the No. 5 spot, Alyson Footer of MLB.com writes. Fulmer will round out a starting staff that’ll also feature James Shields, Lucas Giolito, Miguel Gonzalez and Reynaldo Lopez. Santiago, 30, signed a minors deal in February with the White Sox, with whom he pitched from 2011-13. Although Santiago has functioned as a starter for the majority of his career, he’s content to work in a relief role in his second go-round with the South Siders. “I’m open to whatever,” he said. “As long as I have a uniform on my back, I’m happy with the job that they give me. Right now, it’s in the bullpen as a long guy and I’ll be ready for any role.”

White Sox Notes: Castillo, Abreu, Smith, Santiago, Davidson

2018-03-21T04:26:10Z

“I see as much young talent here as I’ve ever seen anywhere,” White Sox catcher Welington Castillo told Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times about his new team’s spring camp, and that includes Castillo’s previous stint on the north side of Chicago. “In 2013, when I was with the Cubs, we weren’t even close to what we’ve got here,’’ Castillo said. ‘‘In 2014, [the Cubs] started changing; you started to see more about the big prospects. But they still weren’t really coming to the big leagues. The White Sox, our prospects are already here, and they’re building together. This organization is still a step ahead of the Cubs [in 2014].” It remains to be seen if the current Sox core can possibly match up with what the Cubs have accomplished over the last three seasons, though given the amount of top-tier young players the White Sox have acquired in their rebuild, there is no shortage of promise for a quick return to contention for the franchise.

Here’s more from the White Sox camp…

Both Jose Abreu and Kevan Smith made early exits from today’s Cactus League game with the Rangers, as MLB.com’s Alyson Footer and others reported. Left hamstring tightness forced Abreu out of the game after two innings, while Smith suffered a left ankle sprain in the fifth inning. More will be known about both injuries tomorrow, though manager Rick Renteria doesn’t believe either issue is particularly serious. X-rays on Smith’s ankle already came back negative, yet any missed time could hurt the catcher in his battle with Omar Narvaez for the backup catcher’s job behind Castillo. Abreu’s roster spot obviously isn’t in question, though any type of injury to their best hitter is worrisome for the White Sox.
Renteria hinted that Hector Santiago may have won himself a 25-man roster spot, telling The Athletic’s James Fegan (Twitter link) and other reporters that he likes to use a left-hander (like Santiago) in relief of a right-handed starter, and noted Santiago’s ability to provide multiple innings out of the pen. Chicago signed several veteran relievers to minor league deals this winter, though Santiago is standing out from the competition with excellent spring numbers, posting an 0.75 ERA over his first 12 innings. Santiago’s minors contract with the White Sox will pay him $2MM should he crack the Major League roster.
Matt Davidson is “not paying attention to anything else other than really my contact rate” this spring, the third baseman tells James Fegan of The Athletic (subscription required). Davidson hit 26 homers in 443 PA last season, but contributed little else besides that pure power, with an overall .220/.260/.452 slash line and a whopping 165 strikeouts against just 19 walks. Davidson knows he has to become a more well-rounded player in order to stick with the Sox given the strong competition for jobs in camp and during the regular season.

White Sox Release Michael Ynoa

2018-03-19T14:32:13Z

The White Sox have released righty Michael Ynoa. The 26-year-old cracked the majors with the ChiSox in each of the previous two seasons, tossing 59 innings and posting a 4.42 ERA with 8.08 K/9, 5.95 BB/9 and a 36.8 percent grounder rate. Chicago outrighted Ynoa last summer, but he went on to re-sign with the organization in the fall.

AL Notes: Morrison, White Sox, Yankees

2018-03-17T18:30:15Z

First baseman Logan Morrison ended up with the Twins, but many expected the Red Sox to pursue him more aggressively than they did. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe has some interesting quotes from LoMo, who smacked 38 homers for the Rays last season but ultimately settled for a meager $6.5MM guarantee with performance escalators and a vesting option. Morrison says he himself didn’t have any conversations with Boston. His agent spoke with the club during the winter meetings, but apparently “that was it,” and clearly that discussion didn’t culminate in any serious offers. “Am I surprised? I guess. I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know if it was the most shocking thing I saw [in the market].” The Sox ended up re-signing Mitch Moreland to play first base for them on a two-year, $13MM contract.

Some other American League-related items…

James Fegan of The Athletic has an insightful rundown of some young White Sox arms. Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech and Dane Dunning have all had their ups and downs this spring, and Fegan was able to get quotes from all of them on some recent performances in camp. For instance, Giolito spoke about his latest outing during which he allowed two runs in the first inning. “It’s one of those days where like, if one pitching isn’t working you can go to the other ones and I was able to do that for the most part after the first inning,” he said. Kopech offered some confidence in his performance. Threw a lot of changeups, changeups were good,” Kopech said. “My main two focuses were fastball command and changeup command. Both were really good. Got a lot of swings and misses on the changeup.” Anyone looking for more quotes from these young pitchers should give the article a full read.
The Yankees have officially tabbed right-hander Luis Severino to be the club’s Opening Day starter. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com has some notable quotes from manager Aaron Boone on the subject. “”We feel like it’s his time for it,” Boone said. “With what he was able to do last year, we feel like he’s in a really good place now. We just felt like now is the time for him to take on that role and we think he’s ready for it.” While it’s hardly surprising to hear that the third-place finisher in 2017’s Cy Young voting will throw his club’s first game of the season, the announcement also comes with the news that lefty Jordan Montgomery will officially be given the club’s fifth rotation spot and start the Yankees’ home opener.

White Sox Option Eloy Jimenez

2018-03-15T21:17:51Z

The White Sox announced on Wednesday that they’ve optioned top outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez to Double-A Birmingham. The 21-year-old homered twice and hit a triple in nine spring plate appearances with the Sox, but he was never viewed as a candidate to break camp with the team. Jimenez has just 18 games of Double-A ball to his credit and has yet to play Triple-A, so he’ll head to the minors for additional development. The centerpiece of last summer’s Jose Quintana blockbuster with the crosstown Cubs, Jimenez figures to be a critical long-term piece on the South Side of Chicago, though ChiSox fans will likely have to wait at least a few months before getting a look at him in the Majors. That’s just fine with Jimenez, as Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com writes, though the youngster also made clear he thinks he is ready to play at the game’s highest level.

Ryan Cordell Making A Case For Roster Spot

2018-03-12T03:37:16Z

Ryan Cordell is having a strong Spring Training and could be working his way into a spot on the White Sox roster, NBC Sports Chicago’s Vinnie Duber writes. Cordell, an 11th-round pick for the Rangers in the 2013 draft, has a .276/.339/.468 slash line, 65 homers and 81 steals (in 103 chances) over 1940 career PA in the minor leagues. He was acquired from the Brewers for Anthony Swarzak last July, and White Sox GM Rick Hahn said in January that he’d received trade inquiries about Cordell from three different teams. Chicago is having an open competition for center field and left field playing time could also be available if Nicky Delmonico’s partially-dislocated shoulder sidelines him for a significant amount of time.

Delmonico, Saladino Injured In Outfield Collision

2018-03-12T01:08:52Z

Nicky Delmonico and Tyler Saladino were both injured after the two White Sox outfielders collided while chasing a fly ball during today’s Spring Training game. As per announcements from the team, Saladino was diagnosed with a mild concussion and will enter the seven-day concussion protocol, while Delmonico suffered a partial dislocation of his left shoulder and will be re-examined tomorrow. It’s a tough setback for the duo, as both players were looking to establish themselves on a young Sox roster that is wide-open for young talent to win jobs. Saladino was in the running for a utility role, while Delmonico was looking to win regular at-bats as either a left fielder or DH after an impressive (.262/.373/.482 with nine homers in 166 PA) rookie debut in 2017. While the severity of the injury isn’t yet known, Delmonico seems likely to begin the season on the disabled list.

AL Central Notes: Escobar, Morrison, Robert, Merryweather, Mize

2018-03-10T17:00:21Z

Alcides Escobar returns to the Royals with a not-so-lofty goal in sight, Rustin Dodd writes in a piece for The Athletic. Kansas City’s long-time shortstop wants to finish the season with an on-base percentage above .300 for the first time since the 2014 season. He says that he’s working on “taking a lot of pitches each at-bat” and trying to avoid swinging at bad pitches, both of which seem like obvious things to work on. Escobar owns a career OBP of just .294, and his .272 figure last year was the second-lowest among qualified MLB hitters (Rougned Odor’s .252 was the lowest, for those keeping track). That .272 mark for “Esky” was the result of drawing just 15 walks, his lowest full-season total ever.

A roundup of some other news items out of the AL Central…

Recent Twins signee Logan Morrison reportedly suffered a right glute strain while running the bases on Wednesday, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. He was held out of Friday’s game, and is expected to miss today’s matchup as well. However, the injury isn’t considered serious. Minnesota brought the former Tampa Bay first baseman into the fold with a $6.5MM guarantee that includes a vesting option. He hit .246/.353/.516 last season with the Rays while smacking a career-high 38 home runs.
The White Sox are dealing with a more significant injury. Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribute tweets that farmhand Luis Robert has a moderate thumb sprain. Daryl Van Schouwen provides further details on the situation with his own tweet, adding that GM Rick Hahn expects the young outfielder to be immobilized in a cast for six weeks, and to be held out of game action for ten. Robert hit a phenomenal .310/.491/.536 in Rookie ball last season; Baseball Prospectus ranks him as the South Siders’ fifth best prospect, and number 55 overall.
Continuing with injury news, Indians prospect Julian Merryweather will officially undergo Tommy John surgery after recently being diagnosed with a UCL sprain in his throwing elbow, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. The right-hander was a fifth-round pick by the Tribe during a 2014 draft in which the club also landed Bradley Zimmer, Triston McKenzie and Bobby Bradley. Merryweather had been solid at all levels of the minors before struggling to a 6.58 ERA across 16 starts at Triple-A Columbus last season, though his 3.89 xFIP suggests he dealt with some unfortunate homer/fly ball luck.
Auburn right-hander Casey Mize is “the name to watch” for the Tigers as we approach the 2018 June amateur draft, says Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. After skidding to a 68-94 record last season, Detroit owns the number one overall pick in the draft, and as Passan notes, the club loves big college arms. Mize threw a no-hitter last night and was throwing 96 MPH up through the ninth inning. Scouts in attendance say he was throwing a “filthy split” as well.