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Offseason In Review: Chicago White Sox

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Along with this post, Tim Dierkes is holding a live White Sox-centric chat on Wednesday at 9am central time. Use this link to ask a question in advance, participate in the live event, and read the transcript afterward.

The White Sox made additions as expected at left field, second base, and in the rotation.  GM Rick Hahn brought in a new manager and largely stayed out of the trade market, resulting in a team that needs to see increased production from incumbents.

Major League Signings

Options Exercised

Trades and Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

The White Sox kicked off their offseason with the hire of Pedro Grifol as manager.  The 52-year-old former Royals coach will hopefully serve as a breath of fresh air after Tony La Russa’s two-year tenure.  Perhaps to compensate for Grifol’s lack of managing experience, Charlie Montoyo will serve as his bench coach.  Jose Castro is the new hitting coach, also taking on this role for the first time.  He’ll be assisted by another new addition, Chris Johnson.

After making fairly obvious calls to exercise Tim Anderson’s option and decline that of Josh Harrison, the club was given an extra $8MM to play with due to a surprising decision by AJ Pollock.  Pollock chose a $5MM buyout over a $13MM player option, despite a disappointing season.  He ended up signing with the Mariners for $7MM, sacrificing a million bucks in the process, but finding what he presumably feels is a better situation for playing time.  That’s a bit odd, because the only sure thing in Chicago’s outfield at that point was the oft-injured Luis Robert.  Pollock explained this month to The Athletic’s Corey Brock, “I just felt for me and for the team, in talking with them, there would be a better fit somewhere else.”

At November’s GM Meetings, Rick Hahn noted he expected to be more active this offseason in trades as opposed to free agency.  Not long after that, 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine noted that the Sox “[had] their eye on” Oakland catcher Sean Murphy.  Murphy, of course, would wind up with the Braves in a December trade that also brought William Contreras to Milwaukee.  James McCann was also traded this offseason, while free agency included catchers Willson Contreras, Christian Vazquez, Omar Narvaez, Tucker Barnhart, Mike Zunino, Austin Hedges, Curt Casali, and Luke Maile.

Given those catching options and their prices, Hahn chose to stand pat.  The Sox will stick with incumbents Yasmani Grandal and Seby Zavala behind the dish.  After a terrible 2022 season marred by October ’21 knee surgery, Grandal has spent this offseason training with Blackhawks strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman, according to James Fegan of The Athletic.

It was clear the White Sox were going to add a starting pitcher this winter, and in late November they reached an agreement with Mike Clevinger.  Clevinger, 32, had a middling post-Tommy John surgery season in ’22 for the Padres, particularly over his last 13 starts including the postseason.  Unbeknownst to the White Sox at that time, Clevinger was under investigation by MLB following allegations of domestic violence.  Earlier this week, MLB announced that they “will not be imposing discipline on Mr. Clevinger in connection with these allegations.”

Shortly after the Clevinger agreement in November, longtime White Sox star Jose Abreu agreed to a three-year, $58.5MM deal with the Astros.  At the age of 36, we thought Abreu would be limited to two-year offers.  The Guardians reportedly offered three years as well, though at an unknown average annual value.  Abreu later commented through an interpreter that the White Sox made a “really good offer” of unknown value.  But unlike the first time Abreu approached free agency, the White Sox did not seem likely to retain him.  They’ve lost their best hitter from 2022, but did open up first base for Andrew Vaughn as expected.  Vaughn logged 645 innings in the corner outfield spots for the Sox last year and struggled defensively.

With limited payroll space, it seemed in December that the White Sox were at least willing to discuss closer Liam Hendriks in trades.  Such concerns took a backseat to the unfortunate news in January that Hendriks would undergo treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  As Hahn put it in a statement, “Our thoughts and reactions at this time are for Liam the person, not Liam the baseball player. I know the entire Chicago White Sox organization, our staff, his teammates, and certainly White Sox fans, will rally in support of Liam and Kristi during the coming months.”

In my October offseason outlook for the White Sox, I suggested that Pollock and Adam Engel might continue to serve as the backup plan in center field, given Luis Robert’s injury history.  Pollock chose free agency, and the club non-tendered Engel.  Instead, the White Sox added Jake Marisnick, Billy Hamilton, and Victor Reyes on minor league deals.  Leury Garcia has also played some center field, but in general, I expected the Sox to add a better safety net for Robert.

The White Sox did address their left field situation in a decisive way, signing Andrew Benintendi to a five-year, $75MM contract that ranks as the largest deal in franchise history.  Coming off a season in which he hit five home runs in 521 plate appearances, we were surprised to see Benintendi land a five-year deal.  But as MLBTR’s Steve Adams put it, the 28-year-old Benintendi is a high-floor player who has “settled in as a contact-oriented left fielder who draws walks, rarely strikes out, and provides quality defense.”  It seems that the Sox at least explored trade options before signing Benintendi, as they were connected to the Arizona outfield surplus before the Diamondbacks traded Daulton Varsho to the Blue Jays.

While the White Sox reportedly expressed interest in Royals infielder Nicky Lopez in late January, he has not been traded to date.  The free agent market offered second base capable players such as Brandon Drury, Jean Segura, Aledmys Diaz, and Adam Frazier.  Plenty of middle infielders were traded, such as Kevin Newman, Kyle Farmer, Kolten Wong, Miguel Rojas, Luis Arraez, and Adalberto Mondesi.  The Sox instead opted to bring Elvis Andrus back on an affordable $3MM deal in February.

Andrus, 34, has yet to play second base in his 14-year MLB career, but he’ll do so for the White Sox.  He’ll also be available as a capable backup for shortstop Tim Anderson, who has played in about 62% of Chicago’s games since 2021.  Though a certain portion of the White Sox fanbase would like to move on from Anderson, the club conveyed to potential suitors that they would not be trading him, reported Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic during the Winter Meetings.

Anderson, 29, is under team control through 2024 via a club option.  Speaking to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin in February, it sounds like Anderson would prefer some clarity on his future with the club.  He said, “I’m on two option years, and we let it get here and it’s like, dang, I kind of want to know where my feet are going to be at the next whatever years it is and I want to know where I’m going to be at.”  He also made quite clear he’d like to stay.  Anderson’s heir apparent, former first-round pick Colson Montgomery, could be knocking on the door of the Majors when Anderson enters his contract year.

Turnover has been constant in right field for the White Sox in recent years.  Grifol and the White Sox would like to see 24-year-old prospect Oscar Colas win the everyday job, with Gavin Sheets, Leury Garcia, and Marisnick considered other options.  Eloy Jimenez is primarily expected to serve as designated hitter, but may play right field occasionally.  Colas has only seven games at the Triple-A level, but has a chance to seize the job early this year.

Hahn’s other offseason moves were around the margins, grabbing Nick Avila in the Rule 5 draft and acquiring cheaply-available arms like Franklin German, Gregory Santos, and A.J. Alexy.

While Hahn likely entertained more trades than the ones that reached the rumor mill, ultimately his offseason was a predictable one.  The chances of the 2023 White Sox mostly rest on players that were already in-house.  Specifically, it will boil down to seven players who disappointed due to some combination of injury and underperformance in 2022.  Anderson, Robert, and Jimenez have been unable to stay healthy the past two years.  Lucas Giolito, Yoan Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, and Lance Lynn combined for 15.9 WAR in 2021 and 4.2 in ’22, a difference of nearly 12 wins.

Though the club can’t count on big offense from Andrus or Colas, the other seven members of the team’s likely starting lineup all project as above average hitters.  The team’s rotation is fronted by Cy Young runner-up Dylan Cease, while Lynn and Giolito should be solid if not aces.  Even without Hendriks, a bullpen fronted by Kendall Graveman, Aaron Bummer, Joe Kelly, and Reynaldo Lopez could be formidable.

The 2023 White Sox are a team that is surprisingly easy to dream on, but also a team light on depth in certain spots.  If Grandal struggles again, Seby Zavala isn’t likely to provide much offense from the catcher spot.  There are some backup plans for Anderson and Moncada, but the outfield looks thin if Robert goes on the IL or Colas doesn’t hit the ground running.  Similarly, the rotation has question marks in the fourth and fifth spots with Michael Kopech and Clevinger and has little room to sustain injuries.

While the 2022 season left a bad taste in fans’ mouths, FanGraphs suggests the AL Central is mostly a toss-up among the Guardians, Twins, and White Sox.  It’ll be interesting to see what this post-hype team can do if key players stay healthy.

MLB Completes Mike Clevinger Investigation, No Discipline Forthcoming

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News broke in January that Mike Clevinger was under investigation from the league, as per allegations of domestic violence and child abuse.  Major League Baseball announced the results of that investigation today, and Clevinger will not face any suspension or other discipline from the league.

MLB’s statement: “The comprehensive investigation included interviews of more than 15 individuals, in addition to Mr. Clevinger and the complainant, as well as a review of available documents, such as thousands of electronic communication records.  The Office of the Commissioner has closed this investigation and, barring the receipt of any new information or evidence, the Office of the Commissioner will not be imposing discipline on Mr. Clevinger in connection with these allegations.

As part of his path forward, Mr. Clevinger has voluntarily agreed to submit to evaluations by the joint treatment boards under the collectively bargained policies, and to comply with any of the boards’ recommendations.  MLB will continue to make support services available to Mr. Clevinger, his family, and other individuals involved in the investigation.”

The league’s investigation has been ongoing since last summer, as Olivia Finestead (the mother of Clevinger’s 10-month-old child) told The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang in that January story.  The allegations included two incidents where Clevinger was accused of choking Finestead, and another when he slapped her and threw used chewing tobacco on their child.  Clevinger’s lawyers “emphatically” denied the charges, calling the allegations “false” and saying that “the simple truth is that Mike has done nothing wrong.”

In regards to the end of the league’s investigation today, Clevinger released his own statement, via the MLB Players Association (Twitter link).  “I had nothing to hide and cooperated fully with MLB,” Clevinger said.  “This situation has been stressful for my family, and I thank them for their strength and support.  I asked everyone not to rush to judgement until MLB’s investigation was concluded, and I appreciate everyone who had faith in me, including the White Sox organization and my teammates.  I am looking forward to the 2023 season and helping the White Sox win a championship this year.”

Under the broad purview of the MLB/MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy established in August 2015, the league had the ability to impose a wide range of disciplinary actions against Clevinger.  In most cases, discipline takes the form of suspensions without pay, with past suspensions ranging anywhere from 15 games to the record 324 games issued against Trevor Bauer (with Bauer’s suspension later reduced to 194 games by a neutral arbitrator).

The allegations issued against Clevinger came when he was a member of the Padres, and the right-hander then signed with the White Sox for a one-year deal worth $12MM in guaranteed money.  (Clevinger earns $8MM in 2023, and there is a $4MM buyout of a mutual option on his services for 2024.)  According to a statement from the team when news of the investigation went public, the Sox “were not aware of the allegations or the investigation at the time of [Clevinger’s] signing.”  Clevinger was signed to provide essentially replace Johnny Cueto in Chicago’s rotation, as Clevinger will join Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, and Michael Kopech in the starting five.

Dave Nicholson Passes Away

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Former major league outfielder Dave Nicholson passed away over the weekend (obituary via 97.3 FM WRUL in Carmi). He was 83 years old.

A St. Louis native, Nicholson signed with the Orioles as an 18-year-old in 1958. He spent a couple seasons in the minor leagues and reached the majors at age 20. He struggled over 54 games as a rookie and spent most of the following year in Double-A. Nicholson returned to the big leagues for 97 games with Baltimore in 1962. The ensuing offseason, he was involved in a massive trade that involved a pair of future Hall of Famers.

Baltimore traded the right-handed hitting Nicholson alongside two-time ERA champ Hoyt Wilhelm, third baseman Pete Ward and former Rookie of the Year Ron Hansen for three-time All-Star Al Smith and nine-time Gold Glove shortstop Luis Aparicio. Nicholson spent a couple seasons as Chicago’s primary left fielder. He and Ward tied for the team lead with 22 home runs in 1963. Nicholson ultimately compiled a .213/.314/.384 line in just under 1000 plate appearances for Chicago over parts of three seasons.

The Sox dealt him to the Astros over the 1965-66 offseason in a deal that sent reliever Jack Lamabe to Chicago. Nicholson played in exactly 100 games for Houston, hitting at a career-best .246/.356/.411 clip. The next offseason, he was involved in another trade for an all-time great nearing the end of his career: this time going to the Braves with pitcher Bob Bruce in a deal that sent Eddie Mathews to Houston. Nicholson spent most of the next two seasons in the upper levels of the Atlanta farm system, only appearing in 10 MLB games. After playing the 1969 campaign in Triple-A with the Royals, he retired at age 29.

Nicholson ultimately played in 538 major league games over parts of seven years in the 1960’s. He hit .212/.318/.381 with 61 homers, 179 runs batted in and 184 runs scored in a big league career that spanned four teams. MLBTR sends our condolences to Nicholson’s family, friends and loved ones.

White Sox Sign Ricardo Sánchez To Minor League Deal

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The White Sox have signed left-hander Ricardo Sánchez to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com.

Sánchez, 26 in April, has already bounced around a fair bit in his career. He started with the Angels but has since been traded to the Braves, then to the Mariners and claimed off waivers by the Cardinals.

That latter transaction came in February of 2020, which proved to be a rollercoaster of a year for Sánchez. After the opening of the season was delayed by COVID-19, Sánchez tested positive for the virus in July. He was later cleared to return to action and was recalled, making his MLB debut in August. He tossed 5 1/3 innings over three appearances with a 6.75 ERA. Unfortunately, he went to the injured list later in the season due to pain in his throwing elbow and was outrighted off the roster at season’s end.

That elbow pain led to Tommy John surgery for Sánchez in October of 2020, wiping out his entire 2021 season. He was able to return to the mound last year, pitching in Triple-A for both the Phillies and the Tigers. His return from that missed season didn’t go especially well, as he posted a 4.95 ERA in 116 1/3 innings over 26 starts. His 19.8% strikeout rate was subpar but he got grounders on roughly half the balls in play and his 7.9% walk rate was solid. It’s possible he deserved better than that ERA suggests, as his 67.8% strand rate on the year was on the unlucky side, leading to a 4.45 FIP.

Sánchez is still young and was identified as an intriguing prospect as a teenager. Baseball America considered him the #3 prospect in the Angels’ system going into 2015. Many years have passed since then but the southpaw threw 146 Double-A innings in 2019 with a 4.44 ERA and 3.40 FIP. After two mostly lost seasons, he didn’t quite match that production in 2022, but perhaps he will find better results now that he’s further removed from his lengthy absence.

For the White Sox, starting depth is a notable area of the club’s overall outlook. They should have a strong front four in Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn and Michael Kopech, but things get a little murky after that. They signed Mike Clevinger in the offseason to a one-year deal, though it’s possible he could be facing a suspension at some point since he’s under investigation for domestic violence allegations. Beyond that group, the club’s depth options on the 40-man roster include Davis Martin, Jonathan Stiever, A.J. Alexy and Jimmy Lambert. That’s a fairly inexperienced group at the MLB level, with none of them having reached 65 innings yet in their respective careers.

Sánchez will give the club a bit of starting depth without taking up a roster spot. If he’s able to earn his way back on at some point, he has less than a year of service time but he is out of options, meaning he wouldn’t be able to be sent back down to the minors without first being exposed to waivers.

AL Notes: White, Santander, White Sox

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Mariners first baseman Evan White is healthy and even hit a home run in today’s spring action (Twitter link with video from the club). But Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports that the team wants him to get everyday action in Triple-A Tacoma to start the season. That’s fairly logical given that injuries have held back the former top prospect in recent seasons. In November of 2019, he and the club agreed to a six-year contract with three club options, before White had even cracked the majors. He finally made his debut in 2020 but struggled, striking out in 41.6% of his plate appearances. The two subsequent seasons were marred by various injuries, including hip surgery and sports hernia surgery, with White only getting into 62 total games between the majors and minors.

With so much missed time and White still having options, some regular playing time in the minors could help him get back on track. There’s also the matter of Ty France having taken over as the club’s regular first baseman. “I said to our coaches, ‘I believe at some point this year, Evan White will help us,’” Mariners manager Scott Servais said to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. “He’s going to impact us. Certainly, Ty France has first base locked down right now. But things happen. Things happen throughout the course of the year. But [White] just needs to go play baseball, put himself kind of back on the map again — and the only way he can do that is to be available.”

In 2019, White played 92 games in Double-A and hit 18 home runs. His .293/.350/.488 batting line was good for a 132 wRC+, indicating he was 32% better than the league average hitter. If he can get back into that form, that would be a nice depth piece for the M’s to have.

Some other notes from around the league…

  • Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander left today’s game after being hit on the knee with a pitch, with Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun among those to relay the details. The game was in the sixth inning at the time and Santander may have been scheduled to leave the game at that time anyway, but he did limp away from the field with the trainer by his side. The club later provided an update, describing Santander as day-to-day with a bruised knee. “I think he’s OK,” manager Brandon Hyde said, per Ruiz. If Santander isn’t seriously harmed, that would be good news for two clubs, as he’s set to play for Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Injuries dragged Santander down in 2021 but he stayed healthy last year and got back on track, hitting 33 home runs and finishing with a .240/.318/.455 batting line for a 120 wRC+.
  • The White Sox are going to be without their closer for an unknown amount of time as Liam Hendriks is undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They will have to figure out how to proceed in the meantime, but it doesn’t seem like there are any plans to have one set closer. “Absolutely not,” manager Pedro Grifol said to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “That’s not how we are going to run it.” Many teams are bucking traditional closers these days, preferring to target their best pitchers to the best hitters in the opposing lineup, with the Sox perhaps leaning that way as well. Though there won’t be a set closer, some candidates for high leverage work will include Kendall Graveman, Aaron Bummer, Joe Kelly and Reynaldo López.

Latest On Garrett Crochet

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  • The White Sox are tentatively aiming for May as Garrett Crochet’s return date from Tommy John rehab, as per MLB.com’s Sox-specific injuries and transactions page.  Crochet underwent the TJ surgery last April, so the 13-month layoff would fit within the procedure’s usual recovery timeline.  The Sox have already said that Crochet will work as a reliever when he returns, so he’ll need to build less arm strength than a pitcher who was returning to a starting role.  Crochet is slated to move from two bullpen sessions per week to one high-intensity bullpen session per week, with an eye towards pitching in game action during extended Spring Training and then a minor league rehab assignment.

Tim Anderson Hoping For Extension Talks With White Sox

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White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is hoping for a healthier season after a torn tendon in his left middle finger ended his 2022 campaign at the beginning of August. Now healthy and back in camp, the two-time All-Star also expressed a desire to sort out his long-term contractual status.

Speaking with Scott Merkin of MLB.com, Anderson noted he “kind of (wants) to know where (his) feet are going to be at the next whatever years it is.” The former batting champion said he’s “so comfortable” in Chicago and hopeful of getting another deal done as quickly as possibly. “I have a lot of things that are going on with kids and just family. Being comfortable is huge for me,” he told Merkin. “No, I’m not promoting ‘pay me.’ It’s just that’s what’s really going on. Everybody knows I want to be here. It’s no secret.”

Whether the organization has a similar level of urgency isn’t known. Chicago is not facing Anderson’s imminent departure. The sides have already worked out one long-term deal, guaranteeing him $25MM back in March 2017 at a time when he had less than one year of major league service. He’s under contract for $12.5MM for the upcoming season and has a $14MM club option (or a $1MM buyout) for the 2024 campaign. It’d take a disastrous season for the club to consider the buyout, as the net $13MM decision is well below Anderson’s present open market value.

With Anderson far more established and much closer to free agency than he was at the time of his first extension, any new deal would be at a completely different level financially. Anderson told Merkin he’s not interested in signing a below-market pact to ensure an agreement gets done. “No discounts. That’s not to … put anything out there that might seem negative or think I want the most money. I just want to be treated fair and want both ends to be happy like we did last time, whichever way it goes,” he said. “This has been home. This is all I know. I would be disappointed if that came to an end. But at the end of the day, I understand the process.”

If he were to simply play out his current deal (assuming the ’24 option is exercised), Anderson would first reach free agency in advance of his age-31 season. That’s two years older than Trevor Story and Javier Báez were when signing their free agent deals over the 2021-22 offseason and two years older than Dansby Swanson was this winter. Anderson would be the same age as Marcus Semien was two offseasons back.

Each of those players secured deals of six-plus years with guarantees in the $140MM to $180MM range. Anderson isn’t the same style of hitter as those other players, hitting for a little less power but more consistently running excellent batting averages than each. He’s been similarly effective overall though.

Since the start of the 2019 season, Anderson owns a .318/.347/.473 line in over 1600 plate appearances. His 123 wRC+ indicates that production checks in 23 percentage points above that of the league average batter. His 2022 campaign was a little down relative to his previous three seasons, with a .301/.339/.395 line before his season-ending hand injury. Nevertheless, the broader track record at the dish is in line with those of Semien, Story and Báez and a little above Swanson’s. Semien, Story and Báez each had a wRC+ between 113 and 119 over the four-year stretch preceding their free agent deals, while Swanson had a cumulative 104 mark but had posted his three best seasons leading up to free agency.

Anderson is perhaps not the same caliber of defender as Báez or Swanson, though he typically rates as a slightly above-average shortstop by public metrics like DRS and Statcast’s Outs Above Average. Story and Semien each came with questions about whether they were better suited for second base in the relatively near future. There aren’t expected to be those same concerns with Anderson.

Those comparisons lend a rough idea to the kind of range Anderson and his reps could target in free agency. There’s additional risk with Anderson considering he’s still two years from the open market, and the ChiSox may be reluctant to offer true market value prices to buy out his mid-30’s this far in advance. That said, any extension would require the largest investment in franchise history by a wide margin. The White Sox have never guaranteed above $75MM to an individual player — on their five-year deal with Andrew Benintendi this winter — and Anderson could reasonably look to more than double that amount.

If the Sox don’t get an extension done this spring, there’s at least some chance Anderson’s future with the organization could come into doubt by the middle of the season. Chicago showed no interest in trading him this offseason, an unsurprising stance for a club counting on a return to contention after an injury-marred year that culminated in an average showing. If they struggle early in the upcoming season and fall out of the playoff mix, the organization could have to consider larger-scale changes as the deadline nears. The Sox have arguably the game’s worst farm system and key players like Anderson, Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn are all within two years of free agency. Another non-competitive season could lead the front office to consider a reboot during the summer.

Chicago is certainly hoping it doesn’t come to that, either because a long-term deal for Anderson takes a trade firmly off the table or the club is in strong enough position to buy at the deadline. The Sox have a decent amount of payroll flexibility past the 2024 campaign, with only Benintendi ($16.5MM) and Luis Robert ($15MM) under guaranteed deals. Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, Andrew Vaughn and Garrett Crochet will be deep into their arbitration seasons by then, however, and the organization will have to retain or replace Giolito, Yoán Moncada and Eloy Jiménez. There’s opportunity but a decent number of decisions facing general manager Rick Hahn and his staff as things play out.

Reds Claim Bennett Sousa

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The Reds announced Wednesday that they’ve claimed lefty Bennett Sousa off waivers from the White Sox. Chicago had designated him for assignment on Monday when finalizing their one-year deal with Elvis Andrus. Cincinnati placed right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez, who underwent Tommy John surgery last July, on the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

The 27-year-old Sousa made his MLB debut with the Sox last year but was knocked around for 19 runs on 25 hits and 10 walks in 25 1/3 frames — an 8.31 ERA. Ugly as that showing was, he’s regularly turned in sub-4.00 ERAs in the upper minors while displaying above-average strikeout and ground-ball rates. Command issues have plagued him at times, however, and while Sousa looked to have turned a corner with a tiny 5.3% walk rate in 2021, he walked 10.3% of his opponent in a similar sample size of Triple-A innings this past season.

Overall, Sousa has a 3.96 ERA, a 32.2% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate in 50 Triple-A frames, in addition to a 2.96 ERA, 35.6% strikeout rate and 13.9% walk rate in 27 1/3 innings at the Double-A level. Sousa has a pair of minor league option years remaining and averaged a solid 94.3 mph on his heater in the big leagues last year. Paired with his 11.7% swinging-strike rate (and history of missing bats in the minors) there could be improvement on the horizon for the unsightly 12.5% strikeout rate he posted in the Majors last year.

Sousa joins Reiver Sanmartin as a lefty option for manager David Bell’s bullpen. That’s the only pair of southpaw options on the 40-man roster — outside of prospect Brandon Williamson, who’ll surely continue to be utilized as a starter — but Sousa will have competition in camp in the form of non-roster invitees like Daniel Norris and Alex Young.

White Sox Sign Bryan Shaw To Minor League Deal

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The White Sox have signed veteran reliever Bryan Shaw to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training, the team announced. The CAA client will vie for a spot in Chicago’s bullpen over the next several weeks.

Shaw, 35, has spent the bulk of his career — including the past two seasons — in Cleveland. He struggled to a 5.40 ERA in 58 1/3 innings with the Guardians in 2022, thanks to one of the lowest strand rates of his career (66.3%) and one of the highest home-run rates he’s ever yielded (1.39 HR/9, 15.5% homer-to-flyball ratio).

Shaw was one of the most consistent and most durable relievers in the game from 2013-17, thrice leading the American League in appearances and twice leading all of MLB in that category. In that span, he tossed 358 2/3 innings of 3.11 ERA ball, which set the stage for a three-year, $27MM deal in Colorado that almost immediately proved regrettable for the Rockies. Shaw was tagged for a 5.61 ERA in two seasons with Colorado before being released and struggling with the Mariners the following season.

While things have gone poorly for Shaw dating back to 2018 — 5.23 ERA, 268 1/3 innings — his 2021 season offered a glimpse of his vintage form. He’s only one year removed from 77 1/3 frames of 3.49 ERA ball in his first of two seasons back in Cleveland. Even as he’s struggled, Shaw has maintained solid velocity (94.6 mph average four-seamer over the past couple seasons) and above-average ground-ball tendencies.

Shaw will give the ChiSox a durable veteran arm who can potentially be stashed in he upper minors, and if he’s able to round into 2021 form, he can help the Sox to weather the absences of Garrett Crochet (April 2022 Tommy John surgery) and Liam Hendriks (undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma). As things currently stand, Chicago’s primary late-inning relievers include Kendall Graveman, Joe Kelly, Aaron Bummer, Reynaldo Lopez and Jake Diekman.

Rick Hahn Discusses White Sox's Lack Of Trade Activity

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  • Staying in the AL Central, White Sox GM Rick Hahn discussed how Chicago’s offseason had gone with reporters yesterday, including James Fegan of The Athletic. The White Sox made three key additions to their roster following a disappointing 81-81 campaign, signing righty Mike Clevinger, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, and most recently infielder Elvis Andrus to big league deals, with Benintendi’s five-year, $75MM contract being the only multiyear pact of the group. Hahn, referring back to his comments earlier in the offseason that he expected the club to be active on the trade market, noted the discrepancy between that expectation and what came to pass, saying “I did expect there to be more trades… You go into the offseason with needs and potential fits, and over the course of the offseason, you adjust based on what’s viable, both in free agency and via trade. Sometimes teams are pricing guys differently than expected.” As Fegan notes, a quiet offseason on the south side is somewhat unsurprising giving the club’s stated expectation that payroll would stay largely static headed into 2023.
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