Who is that guy? (Part 1: White Sox minor league deals)
The South Siders have brought a million players to camp, so here’s a breakdown of the guys on MiLB deals
Immediately after signing on to be the general manager for the White Sox, Chris Getz took a different approach than his predecessors Rick Hahn and Ken Williams by testing the waters with small trades and acquisitions. Nothing splashy, of course — but the lack of quality doesn’t mean there’s been no quantity. Let’s learn all about who received a coveted minor-league contract from the White Sox!
#WhiteSox invite 25 players to Spring Training: pic.twitter.com/QaAHd5lrNA
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) February 8, 2024
Justin Anderson has appeared in 111 big league games for the Angels over 2018 and 2019. However, injuries have been plentiful. In 2020, Anderson suffered an oblique strain and then a torn ligament in his pitching elbow, eventually leading to Tommy John surgery in July 2020. He was non-tendered by the Angels at the end of that year and signed a two-year minor league deal with the Rangers that didn’t work out, with Anderson landing on the minor league IL in April 2022 after just three appearances. He didn’t return for the remainder of the season. Anderson secured a minor league deal with the Royals in June 2023 and was able to make 24 appearances over the final few months of the season, logging 36 2⁄3 innings of work.
Like Anderson, Wynton Bernard has a small amount of major league experience, having played 12 games for the Rockies in 2022. He was outrighted at the end of that campaign. Bernard started 2023 with the Blue Jays on a minor league deal and played 60 games for their Triple-A club before getting released in June. He then signed another minor league deal, returning to the Rockies organization. Between the two orgs, Bernard slashed .302/.375/.443 in his 571 plate appearances.
Back in December, Shane Drohan was selected from the Red Sox in the Rule 5 Draft. He’ll need to remain on the big-league roster all season or be offered back to Boston.
Jake Cousins has 51 games of major league experience, all with the Brewers over the past three years. His first two years were quite successful, but the 2023 season would not match up. His 35.3% strikeout rate looked great, but his 14.7% walk rate gave pause. Cousins was placed on the IL in June due to shoulder inflammation and was optioned to Triple-A once activated. The Brewers put him on waivers in July, with the Astros making a claim, though that club kept him on optional assignment and he eventually went back on waivers.
Chuckie Robinson was first selected by the Astros in the 2016 draft. By 2020 he was nabbed by the Reds in the Rule 5 Draft, thus making his MLB debut that year. Robinson posted a .407 OPS over 60 plate appearances in 25 games with the Reds in 2022.
Josimar Cousin has pitched in Cuba since he was 16 years old. Cousin pitched to a 4.80 ERA as a very young Serie Nacional player in Cuba, but struggled in his first Stateside season (5.56 ERA, making it up to Double-A by the end of 2023). Because Cousin was a prize catch a year ago, he’s signed to a two-year, $2 million deal and is now on the 40-man roster.
Chad Kuhl had a rough 2023 season with the Nationals, posting an 8.45 ERA over 38 1⁄3 innings before being released before midseason. He will start in Triple-A Charlotte in 2024.
Jake Woodford owns a career 4.29 ERA. He’s appeared in 80 career games over four seasons and has made 18 starts. In 2023, Woodford went 2-3 with a 6.23 ERA over 15 games for St. Louis.
Rafael Ortega spent most of the 2023 season at the Triple-A level in the Mets and Rangers organizations but got into 47 games with the Mets, posting a .619 OPS. He’s a career .247/.324/.352 hitter over parts of seven big-league seasons. He will likely reach the majors again this summer.
Dominic Leone was selected in the 16th round of the 2012 draft by the Mariners and made his big league debut with the club in 2014. Since 2014, Leone has spent time with the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Guardians, Giants, Mets, Angels, and another stint with the Mariners. The reliever is a 10-year big league veteran with a 3.82 career ERA in 404 total appearances.
Joe Barlow was selected in the 11th round, with the 339th overall selection by the Rangers in the 2016 draft. With three years in Texas, he's pitched to a 3.05 ERA in 73 2⁄3 innings. On Aug. 4, 2023, Barlow was claimed on waivers by the Royals. He struggled to a 9.24 ERA in seven games for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers before being designated for assignment on September 1.
Juan Then started as an international signing of the Mariners before being traded to the Yankees in 2017 and flipped back to the Mariners in 2019. He struggled in 2021 and was mostly injured in 2022. He’s tossed 36 1⁄3 innings in the minors with a career 8.92 ERA. Most of his results from last year weren’t great, but Then had a ground ball rate better than 50% at Double-A, Triple-A, and the majors.
Jesse Chavez has pitched for 16 years, bouncing from team to team. At this point, it might be easier to name the teams he has not been on. But don’t get too attached to this righty reliever, as he plans to retire after this season. Going out on a high note, Jesse!
Corey Knebel didn’t pitch last season after suffering a capsule tear in his shoulder with the Phillies late in the 2022 campaign. He has been limited by injuries in recent years, including Tommy John surgery that ended his 2019 season and a lat strain that sent him to the 60-day IL and kept him to just 25 2⁄3 innings with the Dodgers in 2021. In 2017, Knebel was an All-Star who saved 39 games for the Brewers and led the NL with 76 appearances, Knebel holds a career 3.26 ERA, and if back to full strength he could be a nice, low-cost bullpen pickup.
#WhiteSox agree to terms with four international free agents: pic.twitter.com/TsGZoKzCKF
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) January 24, 2024
The White Sox also added five players during the international signing period, including third baseman Eduardo Herrera, shortstop Jurdick Profar, third baseman Jesús Premoli and righthander Jeziel Boekhoudt per Chicago’s release above.
Herrera, a native of Venezuela, is this year’s No. 11 international prospect according to MLB Pipeline. His $1.8 million deal is also the biggest ever given to a non-Cuban international amateur, although that might not be something to brag too loudly about.
Jurdick (the younger brother of Jurickson Profar) and Boekhoudt are natives of Curaçao.
Jesús Premoli is not just a fellow third baseman with Herrera in this class, but a fellow Venezuelan.
Not listed above in the class but a notable addition to it is 18-year-old Venezuelan catcher Elier Gil. That makes three Gils currently in the White Sox organization, and the first not named Adrian.
More international signings include RHP Orlando Suarez, RHP Manuel Rumbos, RHP Alexandre Valdiviezo, Cristian Gonzalez, SS Juan Berroteran and SS Jhoangel Suarez.
Each of these players, as is custom for international signings, will suit up this summer in the Dominican Summer League.
Finally, we have some familiar faces! Danny Mendick and Bryan Shaw have returned to the farm system on minor league deals..
Mendick was drafted by the White Sox in the 22nd round of the 2015 draft. He debuted in 2016 in rookie ball and by 2019 had made his way to Charlotte. Mendick got a call-up to the South Side on Sept. 3, 2019, and remained with the team through 2022. Mendick tore his anterior cruciate ligament on June 22, 2022, ending his season and ultimately, his White Sox career.
On Dec. 22, 2022, Mendick signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the New York Mets and was optioned to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets to begin 2023. Mendick was recalled to the Mets after Eduardo Escobar was traded. In 33 games, he batted .185/.232/.277 with one home run and four RBIs. Following the season on October 20, Mendick was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Syracuse.
Shaw was selected in the second round of the 2008 draft by the Diamondbacks. On June 11, 2011, Shaw made his major league debut in relief of Esmerling Vásquez, who had just given up a leadoff double.
Shaw would spend time on the Guardians, Rockies, Mariners and a second stint with the Guardians before signing a minor league contract with the White Sox in February 2023. On March 26, Shaw was released by the White Sox after being informed he would not make the Opening Day roster.
Shaw re-signed with Chicago on a new minor league contract on April 28. He pitched to a 2–0 record with a 4.03 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 22 1⁄3 innings with the Knights.
On July 22, Shaw was designated for assignment by the White Sox. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple–A Charlotte on July 24. On July 28, Shaw had his contract selected back to the active roster. If your memory is sharp, you recall that Shaw pitching in approximately 97% of White Sox games while he was on the roster (OK, actually just 51%).
He became a free agent after the season, but has now returned for another season.
Check back soon for the who’s-who of major league deals with the White Sox.