The White Sox introduced that they’ve signed right-hander Jonathan Heasley to a minor league cope with an invitation to main league spring coaching. The righty is represented by Icon Sports activities Administration.
Heasley, 28 this month, has some restricted huge league expertise stretched over a number of seasons. He has appeared in every of the previous 4 main league campaigns, throwing a mixed 139 innings, permitting 5.89 earned runs per 9. His 14.4% strikeout price is nicely south of league common, although his 8.9% stroll price is close to par.
Most of that got here with the Royals from 2021 to 2023. Final winter, he was acquired by the Orioles and began the 2024 season with that membership. The O’s principally saved him on non-compulsory task, solely giving him 4 huge league appearances on the yr. He was designated for task after which launched in July.
That’s not a very spectacular physique of labor, however it’s a reasonably small pattern and the White Sox are probably centered extra on his minor league numbers. In 2021, he tossed 105 1/3 innings over 22 Double-A appearances, 21 of these being begins. He had a 3.33 ERA, 27.7% strikeout price and seven.9% stroll price. Over the previous three years, he has thrown 164 2/3 innings on the Triple-A degree, along with his ERA at 5.47 in that point. His 22.4% strikeout price and eight.8% stroll price in that stretch had been nonetheless respectable, however he allowed 30 house runs, pushing extra runs throughout the plate.
Heasley has labored each as a starter and a reliever in his profession, so he ought to be capable of present the Sox with depth in each areas. Their bullpen had a collective ERA of 4.73 final yr, which was twenty eighth within the league. The rotation was a bit higher, with a 4.62 ERA that ranked twenty fifth, although they traded Erick Fedde eventually yr’s deadline and Garrett Crochet final month.
The Sox do have numerous intriguing younger arms, as one would anticipate from a rebuilding group, however including in different arms is a smart offseason purpose. They’ve signed guys like Martín Pérez and Bryse Wilson, in addition to having acquired Cam Booser and Wikelman Gonzalez through commerce and Penn Murfee through waivers. Heasley now comes aboard as non-roster depth. If he finally will get a roster spot, he’s out of choices however has barely a yr of service time.