Latest On Nomar Mazara
White Sox outfielder Nomar Mazara has reported to the team’s alternate training site, Scott Merkin of MLB.com tweets. He has been on the injured list since July 22 for an undisclosed reason.
It’s not known when Mazara will make his 2020 debut, but it’s nonetheless nice to see that he’s making progress. When he is able to take the field for the White Sox, it’ll be the 25-year-old’s first appearance in their uniform. Chicago acquired the former standout prospect from Texas during the offseason in one of many notable winter White Sox transactions.
Of course, it’s anyone’s guess whether Mazara will prove to be a valuable part of the White Sox team. Mazara looked like a can’t-miss farmhand during his younger days, but he failed to post inspiring production as a member of the Rangers, with whom he batted .261/.320/.435 (92 wRC+) with 79 home runs in 2,189 plate appearances from 2016-19. By measure of wRC+, Mazara was never even a league-average hitter in any of his seasons in Texas.
Defensively, Mazara has earned unspectacular reviews in right field, where he has logged minus-17 DRS and a 0.0 UZR across 3,000-plus innings. Once he’s ready to return, though, Mazara figures to take over the position for the White Sox, who have turned to Nicky Delmonico there in the early going this season.
Latest On Rick Renteria
8:22pm: Fortunately, Renteria’s test came back negative, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets. The White Sox expect him to return during their Tuesday-Thursday series in Cleveland.
4:22pm: White Sox manager Rick Renteria will be away from the team for at least one game. Per a club announcement, he is undergoing testing for COVID-19 after experiencing a cough and nasal congestion.
Indications are that Renteria is only experiencing mild symptoms at the moment. Hopefully that will remain the case, whatever the underlying cause. The team says Renteria is in isolation and staying away from the team “out of an abundance of caution.”
Bench coach Joe McEwing will handle managerial duties for the time being. If the testing comes back negative and Renteria feels up to it, perhaps he’ll be back without missing much action.
White Sox Place Reynaldo Lopez On IL; Select Ryan Goins & Designate Cheslor Cuthbert
The White Sox announced that they have placed righty Reynaldo Lopez on the injured list with a shoulder strain. His timeline is not yet known. Fellow righty Ian Hamilton will take the active roster opening.
The South Siders have also made a switch in the infield. They’ve selected the contract of Ryan Goins and designated Cheslor Cuthbert for assignment.
Lopez was bludgeoned for four earned runs in less than an inning of work in his 2020 debut. He had been hoping for a full and healthy campaign to rebound from a rough ’19 effort and set the stage for his first trip through arbitration.
Fortunately for the Chicago organization, the team’s top backup plan is still in place. Veteran southpaw Gio Gonzalez will step into the rotation opening.
Goins was just added to the White Sox mix after being released by the Athletics. The 32-year-old is a proficient defender but only a .230/.279/.335 career hitter.
Cuthbert, 27, had only received one plate appearance in the early going. He caught on with the White Sox after wrapping up a six-season run with the Royals, over which he turned in a .250/.300/.378 batting line.
KBO’s Samsung Lions Close To Deal With Daniel Palka
The Samsung Lions of the KBO League are closing in on a deal with outfielder Daniel Palka, according to DKTV’s Daniel Kim (Twitter link). The White Sox still control Palka’s rights, though since he was outrighted off their 40-man roster last November and wasn’t included on the team’s 60-man player pool this month, Palka doesn’t appear to be in Chicago’s future plans.
Palka burst into the majors in 2018 and finished fifth in AL Rookie Of The Year balloting on the strength of his 27 homers in 449 plate appearances, though his overall batting line (.240/.294/.484) didn’t hint at much beyond raw power. A brutal start to the 2019 season led to a pretty quick demotion to the minors for Palka, and he didn’t receive much more extended playing time until September, finishing with an ugly .372 OPS over 93 PA for the season.
There’s a lot of swing-and-miss in Palka’s game, as he struck out 188 times over his 542 Major League plate appearances, though he has shown considerable more promise at the plate during his minor league career. Over 2287 PA in the farm systems of the Diamondbacks, Twins, and White Sox, Palka hit .269/.349/.500 with 136 homers. A move to South Korea and the hitter-friendly KBO League could be just what Palka needs to get his career back on track and perhaps improve his stock for a future contract with a North American club.
Palka would be taking the roster spot left open by another former big leaguer in Tyler Saladino, who is out of action with a back injury. Kim notes that Saladino has been sidelined since July 14, and the fact that the Lions are already lining up a replacement would seem to indicate that the injury could be serious. Performance-wise, Saladino has an impressive .280/.411/.477 slash line through 163 PA in his first KBO season.
Saladino signed with the Lions last winter, coming on the heels of 326 MLB games with the White Sox and Brewers from 2015-19. By coincidence, Saladino and Palka were both members of the 2018 White Sox, though Saladino was already off to Milwaukee before Palka made his big league debut.
Tigers Claim Carson Fulmer
The Tigers announced today that they have claimed right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer off waivers from the White Sox, who designated Fulmer for assignment on Thursday. The Tigers will need to make a corresponding move to clear a spot for Fulmer on the 40-man roster.
As MLBTR’s Steve Adams examined at length in May, Fulmer still offers glimpses of the tools that made him a coveted prospect in 2015: his fastball, curveball, and cutter all boast near-elite spin rates. And yet, despite those solid numbers, those pitches—particularly the four-seamer and cutter—evidently haven’t gotten the desired results for Fulmer. He’s generated relatively few swings and misses on those pitches, and it’s resulted in a career 6.56 ERA and constant up-and-down movement between the Majors and minors.
That said, this is precisely the type of acquisition that seems ideal for a Tigers team with little to lose this year. Without foundational pitching pieces, Fulmer comes at a small cost, and there’s always the possibility that a change of scenery could allow him to finally grow into a productive Major Leaguer. He’s still just 26 years old, and with expectations low for the team, they can afford to take on reclamation projects such as Fulmer in hopes that something sticks.
Fulmer could be deployed either as a starter or reliever, though it’s unknown as of now what Ron Gardenhire has planned for his newest player; either way, the Tigers will look to do what the White Sox couldn’t and tap into some of the talent that made him a top draft pick five years ago. If pitching coach Rick Anderson can hone Fulmer’s mechanics and command, the Tigers might have found themselves a worthwhile addition who could contribute to their next winning team.
Predict The AL Central Division Winner
With final roster decisions in the books and the 2020 season underway at long last, it’s time to make some predictions. We’ll poll the MLBTR readership on each of the game’s six divisions — though plenty more teams will crack the postseason under the rather inclusive new playoff qualification system.
There’s rather an interesting dynamic in the American League Central division this year. The Twins stepped up in 2019 and have added Josh Donaldson to an already potent lineup. They’ll try to hold off the Indians, who had previously enjoyed a stranglehold on the division and have some of the best core talent around. There’s no denying the immense potential that resides on the White Sox roster, which features both elite youngsters and newly inked quality veterans. The Royals feel they’ve got quick bounceback potential after a few down seasons; if a few players hit their ceilings, perhaps they could surprise. It’s harder to see a path for the Tigers, but they’ve also got a load of elite young hurlers pushing into the majors and will enter the season determined to make strides.
Which team do you think is the best of the bunch? (Poll link for app users.)
Predict The 2020 A.L. Central Division Winner
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Twins 57% (5,134)
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Indians 19% (1,714)
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White Sox 16% (1,448)
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Tigers 5% (454)
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Royals 3% (299)
Total votes: 9,049
White Sox Designate Carson Fulmer For Assignment, Sign Ryan Goins To Minor League Deal
The White Sox set their Opening Day roster Thursday, announcing that they’ve designated former top-10 pick Carson Fulmer for assignment. Chicago also signed old friend Ryan Goins to a minor league deal and assigned him to its alternate training site and selected the contracts of four players: infielder Cheslor Cuthbert, outfielder Nicky Delmonico, left-hander Ross Detwiler and right-hander Codi Heuer. Additionally, veteran utilityman Andrew Romine was released by the organization.
Sox fans will surely be glad to see Yoan Moncada activated from the injured list and placed on the Opening Day roster after previously being out with Covid-19. The White Sox also called up right-hander Jimmy Lambert and catcher Zack Collins from their alternate site.
It’s a disappointing outcome for the Sox and Fulmer alike. The former Vanderbilt star was at one point considered during his junior year to be a possible No. 1 overall pick, but he’s simply never put it together in the Majors. I explored the Fulmer conundrum at length during the league’s shutdown, looking at the right-hander’s lengthy history of struggles in the Majors and upper minors. Fulmer was touted as one of the surest big leaguers in that year’s draft, as even his critics felt he was a high-probability late-inning bullpen piece. Those with reservations about taking him at the top of the draft weren’t so much worried that he’d bust completely but that he’d thrive “only” as a reliever rather than a starter.
Fast forward a half decade, and Fulmer is an out-of-options righty with a career 6.56 ERA in the Majors and 5.39 ERA in Triple-A. As detailed in the previously linked piece on him, there are plenty of positive indicators in his arsenal, and I personally have wondered how he might fare working at the top of the zone with his four-seamer, but the win-now White Sox clearly didn’t feel he was among their 30 best options. Perhaps his struggles will be pronounced enough that he’ll clear waivers, but one can also imagine a non-contender rolling the dice on his once touted arm.
Of the players selected to the 40-man roster today, Delmonico and Detwiler have both appeared for the Sox in the past. Delmonico will give them a left-handed bench bat with sparse MLB success, while Detwiler can soak up some innings if need be — either as a spot starter or long reliever. Cuthbert was once a high-end Royals prospect but has never hit much in five MLB seasons. Heuer, meanwhile, was Chicago’s sixth-round pick in 2018 and posted dominant numbers in the minors last year. He has long-term bullpen potential for them, and the Sox are surely excited to get a glimpse of how he’ll fare against MLB opposition.
As for Goins, he’ll return to the organization for a second season after hitting .250/.333/.347 in 52 games with the Sox last year. The longtime Blue Jays infielder doesn’t have much of a track record at the plate — he’s a career .230/.279/.335 hitter — but he can play all over the infield and is generally considered a strong up-the-middle defender.
White Sox Place Nomar Mazara On Injured List
3:15pm: The club has formally announced that Mazara is on the injured list and expected to miss the beginning of the season. An official reason for the placement was not given.
6:25am: The White Sox appear to be in need of an alternative plan in the outfield. They have placed Nomar Mazara on the 10-day injured list, according to their transactions page, though manager Rick Renteria insisted yesterday that a final decision on his availability had not yet been made.
Renteria did not give much in the way of detail, but did explain that Mazara has been “under the weather,” per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. That’s the same status that was provided a few days ago when Mazara’s absence was noted. It’s a bit of an ominous statement in the age of the coronavirus, since the league’s protocols could mandate a reasonably lengthy absence, though there’s no indication as of yet that covid is involved.
If indeed the team has made an IL placement — the transactions pages have been mistaken in the past — it’ll delay Mazara’s debut with the South Siders, who acquired him from the Rangers during December’s Winter Meetings. Mazara’s a former standout prospect who never matched the hype as a member of the Rangers, with whom he slashed an underwhelming .261/.320/.435 (92 wRC+) and racked up 79 home runs in 2,189 plate appearances from 2016-19.
Based upon his track record alone, there’s not much cause for lofty expectations. But Mazara is still just 25 years old and has long been considered a major talent. As MLBTR’s George Miller explained during the spring, it’s probably too soon to say he has maxed out his potential in the majors.
In a best-case scenario for the White Sox, Mazara will form an enviable outfield trio with Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert as early as this year. As long as Mazara is on the shelf, though, Chicago may turn to some combination of Adam Engel and Leury Garcia in right field. The only other outfielders in the player pool with 40-man roster spots are Micker Adolfo, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Blake Rutherford, none of whom has yet reached the big leagues. Nicky Delmonico and Luis Gonzalez are non-roster options.
Yoan Moncada Rejoins White Sox
White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada has rejoined the club after a stint on the injured list, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. Moncada had been on the IL since July 10. The reason for Moncada’s IL placement was not disclosed at the time, but he announced Thursday that he tested positive for COVID-19 (via Merkin).
Right-hander Jose Ruiz, whom the White Sox placed on the IL alongside Moncada, has also returned. He’ll head to Schaumburg, Ill., to join Chicago’s taxi squad.
Manager Rick Renteria isn’t sure whether Moncada will have enough time to prepare himself for Opening Day on July 24, per James Fegan of The Athletic. The White Sox will make a decision on that in the next two or three days. Regardless, it’s welcome news for the White Sox and the sport that Moncada’s back to health. The 25-year-old broke out last season with a .315/.367/.548 line (141 wRC+), 25 home runs, 10 stolen bases and 5.7 fWAR in 559 plate appearances. If the White Sox are finally going to return to contention sometime soon, it stands to reason he’ll play a major role in their success.
The hard-throwing Ruiz, also 25, tossed 40 innings for Chicago in 2019, but he had trouble keeping opposing offenses at bay. All told, Ruiz registered a 5.63 ERA/5.36 FIP with 7.88 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9.
White Sox Announce 60-Man Additions
The White Sox announced the addition of 16 players to their 60-man player pool Tuesday. They’ll all head to the team’s alternate camp site in Schaumberg, Ill. Today’s additions include (* = non-roster invitee):
Right-Handed Pitchers
Left-Handed Pitchers
Catchers
Outfielders
As Opening Day draws nearer, the White Sox will option additional players to their alternate camp site. There are currently 43 players in big league Summer Camp with the South Siders, and they’ll need to trim that number to 30 by the time the opener rolls around.
Today’s list of additions contains several notable names, including 2020 first-round pick Garrett Crochet, whom the Sox selected 13th overall out of the University of Tennessee. Farm director Chris Getz isn’t ruling out the possibility of Crochet making his MLB debut sometime this year, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score tweets.
Getz also spoke about another recent White Sox first-round pick in Zack Burdi, whom they took 26th in 2016, saying (via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times): ‘We hope to build off how he finished major league camp. It’s the best we’ve seen him in a while. His last couple outings were very encouraging. It’s a special arm.”
Significant injuries have prevented the hard-throwing Burdi from realizing his potential or even reaching the bigs since the White Sox drafted him. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017, barely pitched the following year as a result, and then succumbed to a ligament tear in his patella last season. Burdi’s still a well-regarded relief prospect, though, and may have a chance to factor into Chicago’s bullpen this season.