The White Sox announced this afternoon that they’ve claimed right-hander Mike Vasil off waivers from the Rays. Right-hander Prelander Berroa was transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to make room for Vasil on the club’s 40-man roster.
Vasil, who celebrated his 25th birthday last week, has had a busy offseason. The longtime Mets farmhand was plucked from the club in the Rule 5 draft by the Phillies but was traded to the Rays for cash considerations shortly thereafter. He spent Spring Training with his newest club in Tampa, posting a 5.91 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of work, but ultimately did not make the club’s Opening Day roster. That led the Rays to place Vasil on waivers. If he had cleared waivers, he would’ve been offered back to the Mets, but instead the White Sox plucked him off the waiver wire and will now bring him into the fold along with all the roster stipulations that pertain to a typical Rule 5 player.
It’s not necessarily a surprise for a rebuilding club like the White Sox to dedicate roster spots to Rule 5 draftees, and some Rule 5 players like Garrett Whitlock and Anthony Santander have gone on to be valuable pieces for their new clubs after being drafted. With that being said, Vasil is coming off a 2024 campaign where he struggled to a 6.04 ERA in 134 innings of work at Triple-A Syracuse while still in the Mets organization. Providing any sort of major league production after struggling that badly at the highest level of the minors the year prior would be impressive in any context, but it would be especially impressive for a player in Vasil’s situation who cannot be optioned to the minor leagues.
With that being said, Vasil’s been viewed as scouts as a likely future starting pitcher capable of eating innings at the back of a rotation for years, and the White Sox are a club that’s clearly in need of innings. Fellow Rule 5 draft pick Shane Smith is also being carried on the club’s roster to open the season, and Smith appears to be in the mix alongside Bryse Wilson for the fifth spot in the club’s rotation behind Davis Martin, Jonathan Cannon, Martin Perez, and Sean Burke. Of that group, only Perez has made more than 21 starts in a big league season before. With so little experience in the club’s rotation mix, having an innings eater like Vasil available to take on spot starts or even carry the load in a long relief role could be quite valuable.
Interesting. I guess I must’ve misunderstood the rule five stipulations. I always thought the team that the player gets picked from gets the player offered back to them first. I must’ve forgot he has to go through waivers first.
He was traded after being selected nullifying rule 5 status
It’s true he did get traded, but I don’t believe that nullifies rule five status.
Correct. It didn’t nullify his Rule 5 status. It transferred it to the receiving team after the trade and then after the waiver claim. He stays on whichever team’s 40-man roster currently has his rights. He can’t be “outrighted” to the minors by any other team until the one that lost him in the draft declines to do it.
He’s probably going to end up back in Syracuse in a few weeks.
Maybe yes, maybe no. I agree that he’s really not MLB ready. But the White Sox aren’t going anywhere this year, anyway. They’re exactly the type of team that can carry him for a year and hope for improvement, even if he doesn’t perform well this season.
The White Sox wanted to take him with their second pick in the Rule 5, but the Phillies picked him with their first pick. I’m pretty sure he will stick with the White Sox for at least a month or two as a guy who can go multiple innings in relief.
Vasil-ating.
Sure, why not.
The White Sox must have some magic fairy dust to sprinkle on Mike Vasil. He hasn’t produce great stats in college or minor league ball to warrant a spot on any MLB roster including the AAAA one of the White Sox.
I think Jerry smoked all the magic fairy dust in his cigars.
While I fully agree that he is not a major leaguer at this juncture, some of your statements are not accurate at all. He produced great stats up through double-A. Looking past his stats and at his game log in 2023, he actually had a run of five or sex solid or good consecutive starts in triple-A, several of them excellent.
And the White Sox aren’t the only team to take an interest in him. Philly and Tb are no slouches.
Five or sex, that’s the choice? Depends. Five what?
“Banny’ll fix ‘em” is the millennial version of “Copp’ll fix ‘em.”
One man’s junk is another man’s Fedde!
White Sox could create an entire secondary farm system by doing this repeatedly, rolling the dice on these fringe players without giving up prospects in trades or losing international signing pool money.
Not a bad pickup, necessary as the Sox have 6 (six!) starting pitching candidates across multiple levels in the process or scheduled for TJ surgery. He immediately slots in as long relief and swing along w Bryse Wilson.