The White Sox have signed reliever Kevin McCarthy to a minor league contract, according to the transactions log at MLB.com. He has been assigned to Triple-A Charlotte.
McCarthy pitched in the majors with the Royals every season from 2016-20. He has never gotten swings and misses at the rate one might expect from a reliever, but the sinkerballer has always racked up grounders in bunches and had a couple seasons where he was successful at keeping runs off the board. Over 191 2/3 big league innings, McCarthy owns a 3.80 ERA with a 58.7% ground-ball rate that dwarfs the 43.2% league average for bullpen arms.
Kansas City outrighted McCarthy off the 40-man roster last winter and he elected free agency. The 29-year-old latched on with the Red Sox on a minor league deal and spent most of the year with Triple-A Worcester. He struggled to a 7.13 ERA over 35 1/3 frames, although McCarthy’s peripherals (20.6% strikeout rate, 3.5% walk percentage, 49.6% grounder rate) were far better than that run prevention figure might suggest. The Red Sox released McCarthy last month.
Because Chicago didn’t sign McCarthy until after August 31, he won’t be eligible for the team’s postseason roster. He’ll be on hand as high minors relief depth for the regular season’s final couple weeks instead. If the White Sox don’t add McCarthy to the 40-man roster before the end of the season, he’ll qualify for minor league free agency again this winter.
Championship.
Underrated comment
ALCS = Chicago vs. Toronto (book it)!
Hopefully a different result than 1993 if that’s the match up
I knew a drag queen whose birth name was Kevin McCarthy.
Must be the same guy who’s the house minority leader. Probably should’ve stayed a drag queen.
The only good Kevin McCarthy is the man on the run in the original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”
Preferred him in UHF
You and your 4 buddies must hang out at some ugly Party
With a 10 game lead Sox are looking to rest thier good bullpen arms a little extra while they wait for the playoffs
Makes sense but CHW should try to be #2 seed ahead of HOU. CHW is a .500 on the road and has played poorly against HOU.
In fairness, that series in Houston happened during Houston’s best stretch of the year and while the Sox were pretty banged up. But I agree with your point. If it’s possible to snag home field advantage, they should go hard for it.
There was a more recent White Sox Astros series in Chicago. Trash cans and buzzers not allowed. Check the results of the games.
Why the Sox should go for home field advantage – they are just a better team at home.
Kevin McCarthy was a pretty good actor back in the day. But, I gotta think he’s too old to play baseball. White Sox must be desperate.
The Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives? I know that he thinks pretty highly of himself, but…
Palehose preparing for a play-off insurrection?
My Kevin!