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White Sox Claim Penn Murfee

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The White Sox announced that they have claimed right-hander Penn Murfee off waivers from the Astros. The Sox also announced that righties Matt Foster and Jimmy Lambert both elected free agency in lieu of accepting outright assignments, indicating both players cleared waivers recently.

Murfee, 31 in May, posted strong results for the Mariners in 2022 and 2023. He tossed 83 1/3 innings with a 2.70 earned run average, 27.9% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate. Unfortunately, he’s been on ice for a while, having undergone UCL surgery in June of 2023.

Since then, he has bounced around the league, going to the Mets, Braves, Astros and now White Sox via waiver claims. He began a rehabbing in August of this year but that assignment was shut down after just one appearance with the Astros saying he had “a reoccurrence of right elbow discomfort.”

His current status is unclear but the White Sox are perhaps the team best positioned to be patient with him. They just wrapped up the worst season in the modern era of baseball and can’t be expected to return to contention any time soon. Murfee can still be retained for four more seasons and the Sox will see if they can get him back on track.

Foster, 30 in January, has thrown 119 1/3 innings in his major league career with a 4.30 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. He had Tommy John surgery in April of 2023 and has missed most of the past two years.

He could have been retained for next year via arbitration with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $900K salary. However, this move indicates the White Sox didn’t want him back at that price point, nor did any of the other clubs who all passed on the chance to grab him off waivers.

Lambert, 30 this month, has thrown 99 2/3 innings for the Sox in his big league career with a 4.33 ERA, 22.1% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate. He exhausted his final option year in 2023 and went on to spend all of 2024 on the injured list, eventually undergoing shoulder surgery in August. He qualified for arbitration for the first time this winter and was projected for a $1.2MM salary next year but the Sox decided cut him from the roster.

Both he and Foster have at least three years of service time, which gives them the right to reject outrights assignments and elect free agency. Both players exercised their rights and will head to the open market in search of their respective next opportunities.

Jimmy Lambert Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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Jimmy Lambert’s lost 2024 season has officially come to a close, as the White Sox announced that the right-hander underwent shoulder surgery earlier this week.  The exact nature of the surgery and a timeline aren’t yet known, so it is possible Lambert could face another extended recovery period that stretches beyond Opening Day 2025.

Lambert suffered a right rotator cuff strain in March and began the season on the 60-day injured list.  He started a rehab assignment in July but he was shut down again after pitching in two Arizona Complex League games.  Since an arthroscopic ankle surgery also cut short Lambert’s previous season, he hasn’t pitched in a big league game since September 3, 2023.

A fifth-round pick for the White Sox in the 2018 draft, Lambert made his MLB debut in 2020 and has compiled a 4.33 ERA over his 99 2/3 career innings in the Show.  It seemed like Lambert had found a niche for himself with a solid season out of Chicago’s bullpen in 2022, but he ran into renewed problems with the home run ball last year, contributing to a 5.26 ERA in 37 2/3 frames in 2023.  Walks have also been a consistent issue for Lambert in the majors, as per his career 11.3% walk rate.

Spending the entire season on the Major League injured list has banked a full year of MLB service time for Lambert, making him eligible for salary arbitration this coming offseason.  That isn’t much consolation since it now makes it more likely that the White Sox will just non-tender Lambert, or they could work out a low-cost new contract to keep him in the organization while he recovers from surgery.

White Sox Select Bryan Shaw, Dominic Leone; Designate Sammy Peralta

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The White Sox announced a series of Opening Day transactions, selecting the contracts of right-hander Jordan Leasure, Bryan Shaw and Dominic Leone. The news on Leasure was previously reported. In corresponding moves, they placed left-hander Shane Drohan and right-hander Jimmy Lambert on the 60-day injured list and also designated left-hander Sammy Peralta for assignment.

The White Sox have undergone a huge amount of roster churn since last year, as they kicked off a rebuild last summer and continued it this offseason. As pointed out by Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Michael Kopech is the only pitcher or catcher that remains from last year’s Opening Day roster. The additions of Shaw and Leone will give them some veteran arms to soak up some innings and serve as veteran mentors for some of the younger guys looking to get established.

Shaw, 36, has made 791 major league appearances with a 3.93 earned run average in a career that dates back to 2011. He was also with the Sox last year, tossing 45 2/3 innings with 4.14 ERA, 21.1% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate. He returned on a minor league deal and is now back on the roster.

Leone, 32, is barely halfway to Shaw in terms of major league appearances with 404, having posted an ERA of 3.82 in that time. He pitched for the Mets, Angels and Mariners last year with a 4.67 ERA, 23% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate. He had to settle for a minor league deal this offseason but is now back in the bigs.

Drohan underwent a nerve decompression procedure in his left shoulder about a month ago. It’s unclear when he’ll be able to return from a health perspective, but this transaction means he’s ineligible to be activated before late May. Lambert has been experiencing some shoulder soreness in recent weeks, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. His situation isn’t clear either but it seems the Sox expect him to miss at least a couple of months.

Peralta, 26 in May, made his major league debut last year and tossed 20 innings with a 4.05 ERA, 20% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate. He also tossed 69 innings at Triple-A with a 5.09 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate. The Sox will have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers. He still has a couple of option years remaining.

White Sox Place Luis Robert Jr. On 10-Day Injured List

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The White Sox announced three moves today, including the placement of outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list.  Robert is suffering from a “mild” left MCL sprain, and the IL stint will officially send his 2023 season.  Tyler Naquin’s contract has been selected from Triple-A to take Robert’s spot on the active roster, and Jimmy Lambert was shifted to the 60-day IL to open up space for Naquin on the 40-man roster.

Robert left Sunday’s game due to soreness in his left knee, so it isn’t surprising that trip to the injured list was in order.  The Sox noted that Robert is expected to be fine within 2-4 weeks of recovery time, so the injury won’t have any impact on his readiness for the offseason or for Spring Training.

Though Robert will end his fourth MLB season on the injured list, he has played in 145 games and amassed 595 plate appearances, both easily career bests for the 26-year-old.  He played in only 166 of a possible 324 games in 2021-22 due to a variety of injuries, yet as MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald observed in a post earlier this month, staying healthy has finally allowed Robert to show the form that made him one of baseball’s top prospects.

Robert will finish the 2023 season with 38 homers, 20 steals (from 24 chances), 90 runs scored and a .264/.315/.542 slash line, translating to a 128 wRC+.  Beyond that offense, Robert also figures to contend for his second Gold Glove, with +6 Defensive Runs Saved and +13 Outs Above Average in 1207 2/3 innings in center field.  Among all qualified players, only 15 players have a better fWAR than Robert’s 5.0 total.

Robert’s injury creates an opportunity for Naquin to appear in his first Major League game of the 2023 season, continuing his streak of appearing in at least a piece of every MLB campaign since his 2016 rookie season.  He signed a minor league deal with the Brewers during the offseason and spent most of 2023 with Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate, foregoing his contractually mandated opt-out dates while also battling some shoulder problems.

In early August, the Brewers traded Naquin to the White Sox, a post-deadline deal made possible because Naquin hadn’t spent any time on the Brewers’ 40-man roster or Major League injured list.  The 32-year-old has hit .257/.317/.408 over 269 combined PA at the Triple-A level this season.

Lambert underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery last week, so the move to the 60-day IL is just a formality since his season was already over.  The White Sox provided an update on Lambert today, saying that he is expected to be fully recovered after 2-3 months.

White Sox’s Jimmy Lambert To Undergo Minor Ankle Surgery

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White Sox reliever Jimmy Lambert will undergo surgery to remove a bone spur from his right ankle, reports Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. It’ll end his 2023 campaign but isn’t expected to linger too deep into the offseason.

Lambert has pitched in each of the last four big league seasons. He had his best showing in 2022, logging a career-high 47 innings with a 3.26 ERA. He didn’t recapture that success this year, allowing 5.26 earned runs per nine over 37 2/3 frames. He struck out a decent 23.8% of batters faced but walked opponents at an alarming 11.6% clip.

It seems likely Lambert has pitched through some measure of ankle discomfort for the bulk of the season. This is his second injured list stint of the year. He first landed on the shelf with inflammation in late May, missing around three weeks of action.

Lambert entered this season with one year and 134 days of major league service. He surpassed the two-year threshold but seems likely to fall a little shy of Super Two arbitration qualification thanks to a pair of optional stints that accounted for roughly six weeks in Triple-A this summer. He’ll be out of options next season, meaning the Sox would have to keep him in the MLB bullpen or take him off the 40-man roster entirely.

White Sox Place Jimmy Lambert On 15-Day Injured List

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White Sox GM Rick Hahn told reporters (including The Athletic’s James Fegan) that right-hander Jimmy Lambert has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right ankle inflammation.  Lambert’s IL placement is retroactive to May 28, and it opens a roster space for Liam Hendriks, who is making his return from the 15-day IL today.

The injury adds to what has already been a tough year for Lambert, who has a 5.91 ERA over 21 1/3 innings.  Lambert’s 23.8% strikeout rate is slightly above the league average, but he has been allowing a lot of hard contact and heavy damage — his 15.9% barrel rate is among the lowest in baseball, and Lambert has given up six homers over his 21 1/3 frames.  A 12.9% walk rate also hasn’t helped Lambert’s cause.

Now in his fourth MLB season, Lambert seemed to be turning a corner after the White Sox made him a full-time reliever in 2022, as he delivered a 3.26 ERA over 47 innings.  While walks were still an issue for Lambert last season, he did a much better job of keeping the ball in the park, with only four homers allowed.

Lambert is one of several White Sox relievers who have struggled this year, as only the woeful A’s have a higher bullpen ERA than the 5.17 number posted by Chicago’s relief corps.  Beyond the obvious emotional impact of Hendriks’ return, the three-time All-Star should provide some instant help to the bullpen.  For more on Hendriks’ cancer diagnosis and recovery over the last five months, ESPN’s Jeff Passan detailed Hendriks’ story in a feature piece earlier today.

White Sox Likely To Prioritize Trades Over Free Agency As They Navigate Payroll Constraints

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The White Sox go into the offseason looking to bounce back from an average season. That registered as a major disappointment for a team that entered 2022 as favorites in the AL Central, leaving the front office to regroup in a renewed effort at competing for the division.

It doesn’t seem Chicago will have much leeway to make many free agent acquisitions. General manager Rick Hahn told reporters yesterday that trades are the likelier avenue to improving the roster (link via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). Hahn indicated the team would open 2023 with a player payroll similar to this year’s mark. Chicago opened the 2022 campaign with a payroll around $193MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, but James Fegan of the Athletic reports the club is eyeing a figure more in the $180MM range to start next season.

There’s no indication $180MM represents a strict cap for the Sox front office, but anything in that range would limit Hahn and his staff in taking on many salaries of note. Chicago has around $139MM in guaranteed commitments on next year’s books, including option buyouts for AJ Pollock, Josh Harrison and Dallas Keuchel, according to Roster Resource. Arbitration-eligible players are projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for roughly $26MM in additional salaries, and pre-arbitration players rounding out the roster would cost around $10MM. Non-tendering Adam Engel would knock a couple million dollars off that figure, but the Sox still have roughly $173MM allocated to the roster before looking outside the organization.

Much of that money is committed to key players coming off down years. Yasmani Grandal, Yoán Moncada and Lance Lynn each have salaries in the $18MM range. Grandal and Moncada had rough 2022 campaigns and would be impossible to move without eating a notable chunk of salary. The Sox could probably find a taker for Lynn, but dealing him would only weaken a starting rotation that’s already one of the team’s biggest question marks.

Dylan Cease is locked in at the top of the staff, with Lynn and Lucas Giolito following him. Giolito is projected for a $10.8MM salary in his final year of arbitration. He’s coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, but there’s no chance the Sox would non-tender him and a trade seems like an unlikely sell-low. Hahn expressed confidence in the righty’s ability to bounce back, pointing to his work ethic and relationship with pitching coach Ethan Katz (via Van Schouwen). Michael Kopech figures to have the fourth rotation spot locked down, but Chicago will have to replace free agent Johnny Cueto. Hahn suggested Davis Martin could compete for the fifth spot but admitted that filling it externally would be ideal. The GM suggested Reynaldo López and Jimmy Lambert — each of whom has started in the past — were locked into the bullpen at this point.

The relief corps should be the backbone of the club, with Liam Hendriks, Kendall Graveman, Joe Kelly and López taking high-leverage innings. Chicago has invested heavily in that area in recent offseasons, but another splash there looks unlikely given the payroll limitations and needs elsewhere on the roster.

On the position player side, second base and right field have been persistent questions. Chicago bought out Harrison, leaving them with some combination of Leury García, Lenyn Sosa and Danny Mendick as the favorites for second base playing time. Jean Segura is the top option in a weak free agent class there, while players like Cavan Biggio and Kevin Newman could be attainable via trade.

Right field was unexpectedly vacated by Pollock declining his player option yesterday. Andrew Vaughn has played there but is headed to his natural first base position with José Abreu highly likely to depart in free agency. Engel, Gavin Sheets and Mark Payton are part of a lackluster collection of internal options. Hahn name-checked Oscar Colás, coming off a .306/.364/.563 showing in Double-A, as a candidate for the right field job, but the 24-year-old has just seven games of MLB experience.

Trade possibilities in right field include Teoscar Hernández, Anthony Santander, Max Kepler and Jake McCarthy. Given Hahn’s comments, dipping into that market seems likelier than a run at Andrew Benintendi, Mitch Haniger or Joc Pederson, although platoon options like Wil Myers, Robbie Grossman and Tyler Naquin would be attainable in free agency for a few million dollars.

White Sox Reinstate Liam Hendriks, Adam Engel From Injured List

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The White Sox welcomed two regulars back from the injured list today, as closer Liam Hendriks was reinstated from the 15-day IL and outfielder Adam Engel was reinstated from the 10-day IL.  Right-hander Jimmy Lambert and outfielder Adam Haseley were optioned to Triple-A to create space on the active roster.

Hendriks returns in relatively short order, having been placed on the 15-day IL only back on June 14.  The right-hander was sidelined with an ominous-sounding flexor strain in his right forearm, though the initial indication was that the injury wasn’t overly serious.  As it turned out, Hendriks even returned just a bit before the three-week estimate given by White Sox GM Rick Hahn at the time of the IL placement.  Engel is also back after a pretty minimal IL stint, having been placed on the 10-day due to a right hamstring strain on June 23.

It has been another strong season for Hendriks, who has 16 saves and a 2.81 ERA over his first 25 2/3 innings of the 2022 campaign.  Hendriks’ 34.6% strikeout rate is one of the best in the league, which has become the norm for the reliever for the last four seasons.  However, there is a minor red flag in Hendriks’ walk rate, which is only slightly above the league average.

After an injury-plagued 2021 season, Engel has returned to hit .240/.297/.349 over 158 plate appearances this year, while also displaying his customary strong glovework in the outfield.  Mostly playing as a right fielder in 2022, Engel will return to his usual fourth outfielder role when everyone is healthy, but the Sox could opt to use Engel and Gavin Sheets in a platoon with Eloy Jimenez still on the IL.

White Sox Place Lucas Giolito, AJ Pollock On Injured List

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1:25pm: It’ll be Lambert starting in place of Giolito this week, GM Rick Hahn tells reporters (Twitter links via Scott Merkin of MLB.com). Hahn added that the Sox are “not necessarily expecting him to go out there and get us deep into the game” but rather to open the game with a few quality innings before turning things over to the ’pen.

10:40am: The White Sox announced Tuesday that right-hander Lucas Giolito and outfielder AJ Pollock have both been placed on the 10-day injured list. Giolito left his season debut with an abdominal strain, and the Sox had already revealed that he’s expected to miss at least two starts. Pollock, meanwhile is dealing with a hamstring strain that forced him from Saturday’s game. The ChiSox recalled right-hander Jimmy Lambert and lefty Anderson Severino from Triple-A Charlotte in a pair of corresponding moves.

Giolito hurled four shutout frames before exiting his debut tilt, and he’ll now be sidelined for at least his next two turns through the rotation. His placement on the 10-day IL is retroactive to April 9, so he’s eligible for return beginning on April 19. Giolito joins right-hander Lance Lynn on the shelf, though Lynn is expected to miss considerably more time than him after undergoing knee surgery.

With their top two starters out of action, the White Sox will likely look to Dylan Cease, Dallas Keuchel, Michael Kopech, Vince Velasquez and Reynaldo Lopez to shoulder the workload in the rotation for the time being. Lambert worked three innings in his lone Triple-A appearance thus far, so he could be an option to provide some length along with Velasquez and Lopez at the back of the rotation. Chicago also inked veteran Johnny Cueto to a minor league deal earlier in the month, but he’s still building up toward game readiness after lingering as a free agent throughout the majority of Spring Training.

It’s not yet clear how much time Pollock will be expected to miss, though it’s certainly worth noting that his placement on the IL is retroactive to April 10. Acquired in a straight-up swap that sent Craig Kimbrel to the Dodgers, the 34-year-old Pollock has gotten out to a 4-for-7 start in his brief White Sox tenure so far. His absence will open the door for some additional at-bats in the outfield for Gavin Sheets, Andrew Vaughn and Adam Engel. Both Sheets and Vaughn were getting some early outfield work in just minutes after the announcement, tweets James Fegan of The Athletic.

Injury Notes: Rodon, Blue Jays, Slater, Gsellman, Cardinals

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The White Sox are skipping Carlos Rodon’s next turn in the rotation due to shoulder soreness, and manager Tony La Russa told reporters (including NBC Chicago’s Maddie Lee) that the team is hopeful Rodon can pitch during the upcoming September 10-12 series with the Red Sox.  That said, “when he doesn’t feel right, it’s impossible to push it,” La Russa said, noting that in the wake of Rodon’s recent injured-list stint due to shoulder fatigue, “that’s what’s concerning, that all this should add up to where right now he would be in peak form.”

Rodon missed a little over two weeks on the IL and has pitched well in two starts since returning, posting a 2.70 ERA over 10 innings.  However, the Sox were easing Rodon back into action, limiting him to 144 total pitches over the two outings.  La Russa said Jimmy Lambert would likely be called up to take Rodon’s spot in what has become an increasingly injury-riddled pitching staff — Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn are also on the 10-day injured list.

The latest on other injury situations around baseball…

  • Cavan Biggio and Ross Stripling are slated to begin rehab assignments at the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi writes (Twitter link).  Stripling was placed on the 10-day IL on August 11 with a left oblique strain and could be closer than Biggio to a return, as Stripling might be back when the Jays begin a series against the Orioles on Friday.  Biggio was already on a rehab assignment for a back problem when he suffered an elbow injury two weeks ago, thus setting back his progress.
  • The Giants placed outfielder Austin Slater on the seven-day concussion IL prior to tonight’s game.  Left-hander Sammy Long was also sent down to Triple-A, while righty Camilo Doval and outfielder Steven Duggar were recalled in corresponding moves.  Slater suffered his concussion while crashing into the outfield wall in Saturday’s game in an attempt to catch a Trea Turner home run.  Now in his fifth season with San Francisco, Slater is hitting .227/.313/.395 with 10 home runs over 288 plate appearances while seeing time at all three outfield positions.
  • Robert Gsellman began a rehab assignment at the Mets’ low-A affiliate today, Newsday’s Tim Healey tweets.  Gsellman has been sidelined since June 21 due to a torn lat muscle, and though he’ll need multiple rehab outings due to the long layoff, he is on pace to return to the Mets bullpen before the season is out.
  • Cardinals manager Mike Shildt told The Athletic’s Katie Woo and other reporters that Jack Flaherty will take the “huge step” of beginning to play catch within the next day or two.  Flaherty’s season seemed to be in jeopardy when he was placed on the IL on August 25 due to a shoulder strain, though there is some optimism that the right-hander may be able to return as either a reliever or as a piggyback starter.  In other Cardinals pitching news, Shildt said that Dakota Hudson will throw at least three more rehab starts as the righty continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery.  The timing will be somewhat tight, but there is some hope that Hudson can return to a big league mound this season, which would mark a tremendous recovery considering that Hudson underwent his surgery in late September 2020.
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