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White Sox Sign Anthony Kay To Two-Year Deal

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December 9th: The White Sox officially announced the Kay signing today.

December 3rd: The White Sox and left-hander Anthony Kay are reportedly in agreement on a two-year, $12MM contract. The former first-round pick and top prospect, who’s represented by CAA, will be paid $5MM in each of the next two seasons and has a $2MM buyout on a $10MM mutual option for the 2028 season. He can earn another $1.5MM via incentives. Kay has spent the past two seasons pitching well for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

It’s a familiar page in general manager Chris Getz’s playbook: sign a former first-rounder to a two-year deal on the heels of a strong run pitching in one of the top leagues in Asia.

That strategy worked out reasonably well when Chicago signed Erick Fedde for two years and $15MM in the 2023-24 offseason following a terrific season in the Korea Baseball Organization; Fedde was traded to the Cardinals in a three-team swap in July 2024, netting the White Sox Miguel Vargas and minor league infielders Alexander Albertus and Jeral Perez. Vargas was a league-average bat for the South Siders in 2025 and is controlled another four seasons. Albertus and Perez rank within the top 25 prospects in the Sox’ system.

The Sox will hope for similar results in their similarly priced investment into Kay. The 30-year-old southpaw (31 in March) has pitched 291 2/3 innings since heading to Japan. In that time, he’s logged a 2.53 ERA with a 20.9% strikeout rate, 7.9% walk rate and 54.5% ground-ball rate in 48 starts out of the BayStars’ rotation.

Kay has changed his pitch repertoire since moving to NPB. He sat 94.1 mph with a four-seamer, 87.9 mph with a cutter and 86.2 mph with a slider during his limited big league work from 2019-23. He’s added about three miles per hour to that cutter and also begun throwing a sinker that he didn’t have during his last run in North America, which he credits with generating more soft contact. He’s still throwing a sweeper and occasional changeup, and the lefty has also dabbled with a curveball. (He spoke about those changes and more in an October chat with Fansided’s Robert Murray.)

From 2019-23, Kay pitched 85 1/3 innings between the Blue Jays, Cubs and Mets. It was the Mets who originally selected him 31st overall back in 2016, though they were actually the third team for whom he pitched in the majors. New York traded Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson to the Blue Jays in exchange for Marcus Stroman back in 2019, and Kay made his MLB debut not long after the swap.

Things never clicked for Kay in the majors. He’s been tagged for a 5.59 ERA with a solid 22.4% strikeout rate but an ugly 12% walk rate. Opponents averaged 1.27 homers per nine innings against him. He didn’t fare much better in terms of run prevention in parts of four Triple-A seasons, logging a 5.40 earned run average in 148 1/3 innings pitched.

As we saw with Fedde and with yesterday’s three-year, $30MM deal between the Blue Jays and Cody Ponce, what Kay did in his prior MLB work holds virtually no bearing on his newfound payday. He’s a different pitcher now than he was at any point in 2019-23, and the White Sox are paying him based on the their belief that the changes he’s implemented while pitching in Yokohama will beget better results back in Major League Baseball.

There’s inherent risk, but at this price point, it’s also hard to fault a White Sox club that’s still in the midst of a rebuilding effort. Kay will either pitch well, at which point he’d emerge as a nice trade chip, or he’ll continue to struggle and the Sox will be out a relatively modest $5MM per season. The overall scope of this commitment is less than the $15MM paydays we saw for aging veterans in their late 30s/early 40s last year (e.g. Charlie Morton, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Alex Cobb). It’s a life-changing deal for Kay but a small-scale gamble for the team.

Kay steps into a rotation mix that has plenty of options but is lacking when it comes to established contributors. Right-handers Shane Smith, Sean Burke and Davis Martin all pitched between 134 and 146 innings with ERAs between 3.81 (Smith) and 4.22 (Burke). None of the three has more than one full season of big league success. Smith was a Rule 5 pick at last year’s Winter Meetings and a rookie in 2025.

Those four are now favored to open the year in manager Will Venable’s rotation. Jonathan Cannon is tentatively penciled into the fifth spot for the time being, but he struggled greatly in 2025 and has minor league options remaining. Prospects Ky Bush and Drew Thorpe could be midseason options as they work their way back from Tommy John surgery performed last spring. Lefties Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith rank among the game’s top pitching prospects and could be ready at some point next summer as well.

There’s still room for the Sox to add some veteran innings. Getz has previously voiced a reluctance to commit to free agents beyond the 2026 season — though he did so with Kay, albeit in moderate fashion. There ought to be plenty of veteran arms looking at one-year deals, whether that’s a back-of-the-rotation innings eater (e.g. Michael Lorenzen, Patrick Corbin) or an upside play coming off an injury or poor performance (e.g. Nestor Cortes, Walker Buehler, Dustin May). The White Sox’ payroll currently projects at just $68MM, per RosterResource, so there’s room for Getz & Co. to bring in several additions to fill out the rotation, bullpen, outfield and infield.

Murray first reported that the two parties had agreed to a two-year, $12MM deal. The Athletic’s Will Sammon added details about the specific breakdown and incentives.

Royals, Reds Among Teams With Interest In Jake Meyers

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The Astros are known to have made center fielder Jake Meyers available in trade conversations as they pursue starting pitching. Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports that the Reds, Royals, Dodgers and White Sox are among the clubs that have shown interest.

Meyers, 29, is an excellent defender who is coming off the best season of his career at the plate. He hit .292/.354/.373 with a personal-best 17.6% strikeout rate. He made dramatically more contact while cutting his chase rate on pitches outside the strike zone. Meyers had entered the season with a career .228/.292/.371 batting line. This year’s production was mostly supported by the process improvements, but that came in a fairly small sample. Meyers took fewer than 400 plate appearances thanks to a right calf injury that nagged him throughout the second half.

Even if Meyers regresses offensively, his glove is good enough to make him a useful player at the bottom of a lineup. He’d be one of the better all-around center fielders in MLB if he can maintain a league average bat. Meyers also chipped in on the bases with a career-high 16 steals in 21 attempts this year. He’s under arbitration control for two seasons. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $3.5MM salary that makes him a strong asset — particularly with a dearth of free agent options at the position.

Kansas City is seeking multiple outfielders, one of whom they hope to acquire on the trade front. President of baseball operations J.J. Picollo has already said he’s open to dealing from his rotation for outfield help. Left-hander Kris Bubic has been floated as a trade candidate, though he’s a tricky player to value after suffering a season-ending rotator cuff injury. Bubic pitched like a #2 caliber starter before the shoulder injury but has a history of arm issues. He’s projected for a $6MM salary and is a year from free agency. 26-year-old Noah Cameron could also be available in the right deal, but the Royals would have a high ask for six years of his services.

Cincinnati doesn’t need a center fielder, as TJ Friedl is already locked into the position. They saw righty-hitting outfielder Austin Hays hit free agency, though, and they don’t have anyone established in left field. The Reds arguably have a rotation surplus as well and could entertain offers on veteran righty Brady Singer, though his $11.9M arbitration projection could be rich for Houston. The Reds are unlikely to part with two years of control over lefty Nick Lodolo for Meyers.

The Dodgers don’t have anyone established in center field. Andy Pages could slide over to left, where there’s an opening. Tommy Edman can play center field or second base. The Dodgers are reportedly reluctant to block any of their top outfield prospects with a long-term free agent signing. Meyers makes sense as a trade target. Los Angeles presumably wouldn’t trade Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan or Justin Wrobleski for Meyers, so it might be difficult to line up a deal.

It’s even more challenging to see a fit on the White Sox. Chicago is still firmly in rebuild mode and unlikely to compete for a playoff spot within the next two seasons. They’re light on established starting pitching and shouldn’t be trading controllable arms for short-term help. It’s tough to see a deal coming together even if the Sox like Meyers as a player quite a bit.

White Sox Interested In Pete Fairbanks

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The list of suitors for free agent reliever Pete Fairbanks continues to grow. Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports that the White Sox are interested in the veteran right-hander. Chicago joins the Diamondbacks, Tigers, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Dodgers as teams connected to Fairbanks.

Tampa Bay declined its $11MM option on Fairbanks back in November. The 31-year-old piled up 75 saves over the past three seasons with the club. Fairbanks posted a strong 2.83 ERA over 61 appearances in 2025, setting a career high in innings by 15 frames. The price tag seemed reasonable for Fairbanks given his recent production, though it ended up being too much for the cost-conscious Rays.

Fairbanks cruised through this past season without any health issues for the first time since the shortened 2020 campaign. Over the previous four years, he had missed time with rotator cuff, shoulder, lat, forearm, and hip injuries. Fairbanks also dealt with a nerve-related issue in 2024. After his fastball sat at 99 mph in 2023, it’s been in the 97 mph range over the past two years.

Even with the frequent IL stints, Fairbanks was a valuable member of Tampa Bay’s bullpen during his tenure. He posted a 3.19 ERA over 265 1/3 innings with the club. Fairbanks was virtually unhittable for stretches, including a two-year run from 2022 to 2023 where opponents hit .155 and .163 against him, respectively. Sending Nick Solak to Texas straight up for Fairbanks before the reliever found his footing in the big leagues certainly paid off for Tampa Bay.

The White Sox bullpen had the fifth-worst SIERA and the third-worst xFIP last season. The closer role was a moving target, with nine different relievers recording a save. Jordan Leasure led the way with seven saves and would likely be Chicago’s closer if the season started today, though he would likely be supplanted by Fairbanks or any other notable free agent acquisition. No White Sox reliever has recorded double-digit saves since 2022 (Liam Hendriks with 37).

Chicago shelled out $24MM for Kendall Graveman and $17MM for Joe Kelly ahead of the 2022 season. Since then, the club has been hesitant to spend on relievers (or any other position). The most expensive bullpen addition over the past three seasons was John Brebbia on a one-year, $5.5MM deal in 2024. The White Sox’s only reliever signing last offseason was Bryse Wilson, who got a one-year, $1.05MM pact.

Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes, Imagn Images

MLBTR Podcast: An Agent’s Perspective with B.B. Abbott – Also, Cease, Williams, Helsley, And Gray

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by B.B. Abbott of Wasserman Baseball to discuss…

  • Abbott’s approach to free agency (3:30)
  • The impact of the media on free agency (10:00)
  • The different levels of player involvement in free agency (17:00)
  • The decision to sign an extension instead of going to free agency (20:15)
  • Chris Sale and his extensions with the White Sox, Red Sox and Braves (23:00)
  • Byron Buxton and his extension with the Twins (28:50)
  • Representing young players going into the draft (32:10)
  • The general state of baseball (35:50)

Plus, Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors joins the show to discuss…

Check out our past episodes!

  • Some “Classic Baseball Trades,” Nimmo For Semien, And Ward For Rodriguez – listen here
  • Offseason Preview Megapod: Top 50 Free Agents – listen here
  • Surprising Option Decisions, Qualifying Offers, And Paul DePodesta – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

American League Non-Tenders: 11/21/25

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Every American League team has officially announced their non-tender decisions. It was a quiet evening in terms of subtractions, with only the Rangers parting with any marquee players. All players who were non-tendered are free agents without going on waivers. A few teams dropped pre-arbitration players from the back of the 40-man roster. It’s possible they preferred not to expose them to waivers and are hopeful of re-signing them to non-roster deals.

Here’s a full list of today’s activity in the AL, while the National League moves are available here. All projected salaries are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.

  • The Angels announced they’ve non-tendered outfielder Gustavo Campero and catcher Sebastian Rivero. Campero is a depth outfielder who has hit .202/.272/.346 over the past two seasons. Rivero operated as the club’s third catcher for most of the season but spent the final few weeks on the active roster. Neither player had been eligible for arbitration. All their arb-eligible players were easy calls to retain.
  • The Astros technically made one non-tender, dropping infielder Ramón Urías after he was designated for assignment earlier in the week. He’d been projected at $4.4MM.
  • The Athletics officially non-tendered outfielder JJ Bleday, the club announced. He’d been designated for assignment on Tuesday, so this was inevitable unless they found a trade partner. Bleday had been projected at $2.2MM.
  • The only non-tenders for the Red Sox were first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and reliever Josh Winckowski, each of whom had been designated for assignment on Tuesday. Lowe was projected at $13.5MM, while Winckowski was at $800K.
  • The Guardians non-tendered outfielder Will Brennan and relievers Sam Hentges and Nic Enright. The latter had been designated for assignment on Tuesday. Hentges hasn’t pitched since undergoing shoulder surgery in September 2024. He underwent a right knee procedure a few months ago and will be delayed this offseason. Brennan only appeared in six MLB games this year and underwent Tommy John surgery while in the minors in June. He’d been projected at $900K.
  • The Mariners non-tendered reliever Gregory Santos, reports Francys Romero. He’d only been projected at $800K, narrowly above the MLB minimum, so the move was about dropping him from the 40-man roster. Seattle acquired the 26-year-old righty from the White Sox over the 2023-24 offseason. He has only made 16 MLB appearances with a 5.02 earned run average over the past two years because of lat and knee injuries. Seattle also non-tendered relievers Trent Thornton and Tayler Saucedo (the latter of whom was designated for assignment on Tuesday). Thornton had been projected at $2.5MM and is coming off a 4.68 ERA through 33 appearances. He suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in August.
  • The Orioles non-tendered swingman Albert Suárez, the team announced. Everyone else in their arbitration class was offered a contract, surprisingly including first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan). Suárez, 36, was a solid depth starter in 2024. He was limited to five MLB appearances this past season by a flexor strain but is not expected to require surgery.
  • The Rangers non-tendered each of Adolis García, Jonah Heim, Josh Sborz and Jacob Webb. MLBTR covered those moves in greater detail.
  • The Rays only non-tendered outfielders Christopher Morel and Jake Fraley, each of whom had been designated for assignment earlier in the week. Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reported last night that the Rays were open to bringing back Fraley at a lower price than his $3.6MM arbitration projection.
  • The Royals non-tendered outfielder MJ Melendez and reliever Taylor Clarke, per a club announcement. Melendez, who’d been projected at $2.65MM, was an obvious decision. The former top prospect never developed as hoped and is a career .215/.297/.388 hitter over parts of four seasons. Clarke isn’t as big a name but comes as the more surprising cut. He’d been projected at just $1.9MM and is coming off a 3.25 ERA with a 21.4% strikeout rate over 55 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
  • The Tigers are non-tendering utility player Andy Ibáñez, according to Romero. He’d been projected at $1.8MM. The righty-hitting Ibáñez had been a solid short-side platoon bat for Detroit between 2023-24. His production against southpaws dropped this year (.258/.311/.403), limiting his value. The Tigers optioned the 32-year-old to Triple-A in early June and kept him in the minors until shortly before the trade deadline. Detroit also dropped the six pitchers they’d designated for assignment earlier in the week: Tanner Rainey, Dugan Darnell, Tyler Mattison, Jason Foley, Jack Little and Sean Guenther.
  • The only Twins non-tender was outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr., who’d been designated for assignment this morning to make room for the Alex Jackson trade. Everyone in the arbitration class was brought back.
  • The White Sox non-tendered outfielder Mike Tauchman, as first reported by Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. The lefty hitter turned in a solid .263/.356/.400 line in 93 games this past season. Tauchman has gotten on base at plus rates in three straight years but was also non-tendered by the Cubs a year ago. The 34-year-old (35 next month) had been projected for a $3.4MM salary. The Sox also announced they’ve dropped lefty reliever Cam Booser and first baseman Tim Elko. Neither had been eligible for arbitration. The former posted a 5.52 ERA in 39 appearances after being acquired from the Red Sox last winter, while the latter hit .134 in his first 23 MLB games despite a 26-homer season in Triple-A.
  • The Yankees announced five non-tenders. Relievers Mark Leiter Jr., Scott Effross, Jake Cousins and Ian Hamilton were all cut loose, as was pre-arbitration righty Michael Arias. Leiter, who’d been projected at $3MM, never clicked in the Bronx after being acquired at the 2024 deadline. He posted a 4.89 ERA in 70 innings as a Yankee. Hamilton, Effross and Cousins were all projected just above the MLB minimum but are cut to clear roster space. Hamilton was on and off the active roster and posted a 4.28 ERA in 40 big league frames this year. Effross was limited to 11 appearances and has been plagued by various injuries for the past three and a half years, while Cousins is working back from Tommy John surgery. Arias has never pitched in the big leagues and could be brought back on a minor league deal.

The Blue Jays tendered contracts to all unsigned players on the 40-man roster.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: 11/21/25

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The deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is this afternoon at 4pm CT. Throughout the day, we’ll surely see a handful of arb-eligible players agree to terms with their clubs to avoid a hearing.

These so-called “pre-tender deals” usually, although not always, involve players who were borderline non-tender candidates. Rather than run the risk of being cut loose, they can look to sign in the lead-up to the deadline. Those salaries often come in a little below projections, since these players tend to have less leverage because of the uncertainty about whether they’ll be offered a contract at all.

Under the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement, players who sign to avoid an arbitration hearing are guaranteed full termination pay. That’s a change from prior CBAs, when teams could release an arb-eligible player before the season began and would only owe a prorated portion of the contract. This was done to incentivize teams and players to get deals done without going to a hearing.

All salary projections in this post come via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. This post will be updated throughout the day as deals are announced and/or reported. Salary figures are from The Associated Press unless otherwise noted.

Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images

Poll: Should The White Sox Trade A Young Catcher?

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While they improved on their historically bad 2024 season this past year, the 2025 White Sox were still among the league’s bottom-feeders with little end in sight to the rebuild that GM Chris Getz is undertaking. The problem for Chicago is that they’re running out of notable pieces to dangle in trades if they hope to accelerate that rebuild. Andrew Benintendi has the capacity to be a decent corner bat, but he’s overpaid and could be difficult to move without eating almost all of his salary. Luis Robert Jr. has long been on the trade block, but the White Sox have never been able to extract the value they’re looking for.

That dearth of quality trade pieces could lead the Sox to look for more unorthodox trade candidates on their roster. For all of the team’s faults, Chicago does have one area of legitimate depth on its roster: young catching talent. Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel both turned in solid rookie seasons after entering the 2025 season as consensus top-100 prospects in the sport, and both players are controlled through the end of the 2031 season. Six full seasons of team control on a player who has already proved capable of hitting big league pitching from the toughest defensive position on the diamond is arguably one of the most attractive tradable assets in the entire game.

There’s also the current market conditions to consider. The free agent market is headlined by J.T. Realmuto but he’s expected to return to the Phillies. Even if he doesn’t, he’s about to turn 35 and some clubs would certainly prefer to find a younger franchise catcher like those currently on the White Sox. Apart from Realmuto, guys like Victor Caratini and Danny Jansen are the top guys available. Ryan Jeffers might be on the trade block but it’s not entirely confirmed that the Twins are going to continue the selloff they began at the deadline.

That could make it easy to dream on what sort of elite return the White Sox could get if they were willing to trade either Teel or Quero, both of whom they’ve received interest on. For a team with a need in the starting rotation, multiple holes in the lineup, and plenty of room to improve in the bullpen, a trade return with a number of players could help patch holes and quicken the team’s return to contention in an AL Central division that appeared a bit more vulnerable than expected by the end of the year. Teel or Quero would also not necessarily need to be replaced if traded given the presence of Korey Lee on the 40-man roster, though Lee’s track record in the majors is mixed at best.

An offer that included a controllable starter and help for the lineup could be hard to turn down, but Getz has indicated that he isn’t especially inclined to deal either Teel or Quero at this point. That’s understandable, given that the team has no reason to rush into a trade. Keeping both Teel and Quero in the fold would allow them to better evaluate which of the two is better suited to be a franchise cornerstone behind the plate and, if both players excel, wouldn’t substantially decrease their value on the market. Any loss in team control could be made up for or perhaps even exceeded by the value created by the youngster proving themselves more solidly at the big league level.

What’s more, waiting to trade could mean that the players acquired would be under control longer when the White Sox are earnestly trying to contend again. Acquiring a player with three years of team control in 2026 would likely only mean one or two years in the organization while its competitive, but acquiring a player with the same amount of control remaining a year or two from now could mean having that player’s services for a much larger portion of the team’s competitive window. Waiting would also allow the White Sox to better evaluate the rest of the talent in their system and more accurately identify which needs should be prioritized.

Of course, there’s risks in waiting as well. Injury or underperformance could diminish either player’s value. Given the inconsistencies that even high-end young catchers often face early in their time as big leaguers, the possibility of such a decline cannot be ignored. Perhaps future offseasons will have more catching talent available in free agency and/or trades.

Even if Teel and Quero both remain productive and command strong markets a year or two from now, there are drawbacks to waiting. For one, the clocks on the team’s existing young players are already ticking. Any time spent waiting out the market is time that acquired players and prospects won’t be able to spend alongside young up-and-comers like Shane Smith, Colson Montgomery, and whichever catcher does remain in Chicago long-term. Another concern would be that those players and prospects themselves may not yet be fully established at the big league level, and any additional development time necessary might be better done while the White Sox are still rebuilding rather than when they’re already trying to compete.

How do MLBTR readers think the White Sox should handle their catching surplus? Should the team be open to moving one of their top catching talents, or should they hold onto both players and continue evaluating them in 2026? Have your say in the poll below:

Rays, White Sox Complete Four-Player Trade

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The Rays and White Sox announced a four-player trade sending middle reliever Steven Wilson and swingman Yoendrys Gómez to Tampa Bay for outfielder Everson Pereira and minor league infielder Tanner Murray.

Wilson is the most established of the group. The 31-year-old righty landed in Chicago as part of the Dylan Cease trade during the 2023-24 offseason. Wilson had posted a 3.48 ERA over his first two MLB seasons with the Padres. His numbers tanked during his first year with the Sox, leading them to run him through waivers last winter. Wilson pitched his way back to the big leagues by the middle of April and turned in a quietly solid year.

Over a career-high 55 1/3 innings, Wilson pitched to a 3.42 earned run average. He punched out 21.1% of opposing hitters against a personal-low 9.1% walk rate. Wilson leans heavily on his slider and sits in the 93-94 MPH range with his fastball. He came up just shy of four years of service and is under arbitration control for the next three seasons. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $1.5MM salary. Wilson has a full slate of options, so the Rays could send him between Tampa Bay and Triple-A Durham for the foreseeable future.

Gómez, 26, got a late-season look in the Sox’s rotation. He started nine of 12 appearances overall and turned in a 4.84 ERA through 48 1/3 innings. A former Yankees prospect, Gómez has bounced around the league on waivers. He’s out of options, which spurred the roster shuffling. Gómez sits in the 93-94 MPH range and has a deep arsenal but has never had pristine control. He’ll compete for a rotation or long relief role and will either need to break camp or again be designated for assignment.

The Sox swap Gómez for one of his former teammates coming through the Yankees’ system. Pereira, a righty-hitting outfielder, was once a notable international signee and solid prospect. The 24-year-old native of Venezuela has a career .271/.362/.519 batting line over three Triple-A seasons. Pereira’s solid power-speed combination has been undercut by strikeout concerns, though. He punched out at a 29% clip in the minors this year and struck out 28 more times in 73 big league plate appearances after the Rays acquired him from the Yankees at the deadline for José Caballero.

Pereira is also out of options. He’ll need to crack Chicago’s Opening Day roster or be designated for assignment. The Sox parting with a useful middle reliever for him suggests they’re likely to carry him in the big leagues. Pereira would slot behind Luis Robert Jr., Mike Tauchman and Andrew Benintendi as a fourth outfielder if the Sox keep all three of those players over the winter.

Murray, a 26-year-old non-roster utility player, rounds out the return. A fourth-round pick in 2020, Murray has gone unselected in the Rule 5 draft a few times. He’ll be eligible again this offseason unless the White Sox put him on the 40-man roster. He hit 18 homers but struck out at a 24.1% clip this past season with Tampa Bay’s Triple-A affiliate. He hit a below-average .241/.299/.400 across 572 plate appearances overall. The Sox figure to have him open the year with their top farm team in Charlotte.

Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase first reported that Gómez was being traded to Tampa Bay in a deal sending Pereira to Chicago. James Fegan of Sox Machine had the two-for-two swap. Respective images courtesy of Gary Vasquez and Kim Klement, Imagn Images.

White Sox Select Duncan Davitt, Tanner McDougal

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The White Sox announced that they have selected right-handed pitchers Duncan Davitt and Tanner McDougal to their 40-man roster. That protects both of them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. The Sox also noted that left-hander Fraser Ellard has been placed on the voluntarily retired list.

Davitt, 26, was an 18th-round pick of the Rays in 2022. He came over to the White Sox at this year’s deadline, as part of the deal sending Adrian Houser to the Rays. Davitt has thrown 373 minor league innings with a 4.32 earned run average, 25.1% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate.

That includes 152 innings here in 2025, split between the two different clubs as well as between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Put together, he had a 4.38 ERA, which doesn’t jump off the page. However, his 23.8% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 42.8% ground ball rate were all solid figures. He got an honorable mention from FanGraphs back in February on their list of top prospects in the Rays’ system. He can give the rebuilding White Sox some immediate rotation depth and should in line to make his big league debut at any point.

McDougal, 23 in April, is homegrown. The White Sox selected him in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. Baseball America ranked him in the teens of the Chicago system for the next few years but he fell off the map with a 6.04 ERA in 2024.

He bounced back this year. He made 28 starts between High-A and Double-A with a 3.26 ERA. His 10.2% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 28.3% of batters faced and got grounders on 45.3% of balls in play. With those kinds of numbers, the Sox understandably didn’t want him to get away. He hasn’t yet reached Triple-A but he should be there in 2026 at some point.

Ellard, 28, was an eighth-round pick of the Sox in 2021. He climbed the ladder and was added to the 40-man roster in July of 2024. He tossed 24 innings for the Sox down the stretch last year, posting a 3.75 ERA.

2025 was a challenge for him. A strained right hamstring put him on the injured list a few weeks into the season. He was reinstated from the IL a couple of weeks later but then suffered a lat strain just a few days after that. That lat strain cost him about two months, from early May to early July. After he was reinstated from the IL, he was shuttled to Triple-A and back for the second half. He finished the season having tossed 17 innings. He walked 19 of the 74 batters he faced, a 25.7% clip. He also hit a batter and uncorked three wild pitches.

It seems Ellard has decided to hang up his spikes after that frustrating campaign. He retires with a 3.95 ERA in 41 innings. We at MLB Trade Rumors wish him all the best in his post-playing endeavors.

Photo courtesy of Joseph Cress, Imagn Images

White Sox Acquire Chris Murphy

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The Red Sox have traded left-hander Chris Murphy to the White Sox, according to announcements from both clubs. Catching prospect Ronny Hernandez headed to the Red Sox in return. Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that Murphy was headed to Chicago. Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic reported it would be for a catcher. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe specified that Hernandez would be that catcher.

Murphy, 28 in June, made his big league debut as a long reliever with Boston in 2023. He logged 47 2/3 innings over 20 appearances, allowing 4.91 earned runs per nine. His 23.1% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and 44.7% ground ball rate were all pretty close to league averages. He couldn’t carry that over in 2024, as he required Tommy John surgery in April of that year.

He was on the injured list until midway through the 2025 season. He logged another 34 2/3 innings in the big leagues this year with a 3.12 ERA. His 20.3% strikeout rate was down a bit and his 13.5% walk rate was a notable jump, though perhaps some post-surgery rust was at play. His ground ball rate climbed to 54.3%.

Boston had a bit of a roster crunch today and needed to make some cuts. Both Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Winckowski were designated for assignment today and flipping Murphy also opens up a spot. They also traded lefty Brennan Bernardino to the Rockies.

For the White Sox, they are rebuilding and have more ability to see if Murphy finds another gear in 2026 and moving forward. He still has an option, meaning they could keep him in the majors or minors or shuttle him back and forth throughout the next season. He came up as a starter, so it’s possible they could try stretching him back out, or they could keep him in a relief role. He has a bit more than two years of service time, meaning he hasn’t yet qualified for arbitration and can still be controlled for another four seasons, maybe even five if he spends a long time on optional assignment.

For Boston, they clear out a roster spot and add some non-roster catching depth. Hernandez, 21, was an international signing out of Venezuela. He hasn’t yet climbed higher than the Single-A level. In his 1,060 minor league plate appearances, he has a 13.9% walk rate, 17.9% strikeout rate, .275/.379/.379 line and 115 wRC+. FanGraphs gave him an honorable mention on their list of top White Sox prospects back in April. He’s a long-term flier for Boston.

Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images

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