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Bryan Shaw

Reds, Bryan Shaw Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Reds have agreed to a minor league deal with free agent reliever Bryan Shaw, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. Shaw, a client of CAA, will reunite with former Cleveland skipper Terry Francona in Cincinnati and head to major league camp in spring training, where he’ll compete for a bullpen spot.

The 37-year-old Shaw has pitched in the majors in each of the past 14 seasons, albeit only for four innings with the 2024 White Sox. He spent roughly half that time pitching for Francona in Cleveland, where Shaw enjoyed a stretch as one of the American League’s most durable and effective setup men.

From 2013-17, Shaw piled up 358 1/3 innings of 3.11 ERA ball with a 22.5% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate. He tallied a hefty 110 holds along the way — the third-most in all of Major League Baseball in that five-year span (trailing the since-retired Tony Watson and Tyler Clippard).

Shaw parlayed that run of excellence into a three-year deal with the Rockies, but as with so many pitchers at Coors Field, things didn’t pan out. Shaw posted an ERA north of 5.00 in each of his two seasons with Colorado before being cut loose. He had a brief cameo with the Mariners during the shortened 2020 campaign but didn’t pitch well there, either.

In the four years since, Shaw has had an up-and-down run but has been serviceable on the whole. He’s pitched 185 1/3 frames dating back to Opening Day 2021 and sports a 4.37 ERA, 20.6% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. He spent most of the 2024 season with the Angels’ Triple-A club, posting a 4.14 ERA in 41 1/3 innings.

The Reds have several bullpen spots already spoken for. Alexis Diaz, Fernando Cruz, Emilio Pagan, Sam Moll, Brent Suter and Tony Santillan are all likely to open the season on the active roster, health permitting. Roansy Contreras, claimed off waivers earlier this week, will need to make the Opening Day roster or else be traded or passed through waivers prior to Opening Day. Cincinnati will likely make some additional non-roster pickups at the very least, but Shaw is a clear favorite of Francona’s, which could give him an inside track on a bullpen job if he shows well during spring training.

Angels Sign Bryan Shaw, Elliot Soto To Minor League Deals

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The Angels have signed right-hander Bryan Shaw and shortstop Elliot Soto to minor league deals, per each player’s transaction tracker at MLB.com. Both have been assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake. Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register relays that Shaw will make a prorated salary of $1.1MM if he makes the major league club.

Shaw, 36, is a veteran with 796 major league appearances to this point in his career. That puts him in the top 60 on the all-time list among pitchers and third among active hurlers, behind only Kenley Jansen and David Robertson. He has a 3.96 earned run average in that time over 764 1/3 innings.

He spent last year with the White Sox, logging 45 2/3 frames with a 4.14. He struck out 21.1% of batters faced while giving out walks at an 8.9% rate. He returned to the Sox on a minor league deal this offseason and cracked the Opening Day roster. He struggled in his first five appearances this year, allowing four earned runs in four innings while issuing four walks. The Sox designated him for assignment last week and he elected free agency after clearing waivers.

The Angels have a few relievers on the injured list, including Guillo Zuñiga and José Quijada, but the most notable is Robert Stephenson. Signed to a three-year, $33MM deal in the offseason, he started the season on the injured list due to some shoulder soreness and is now being evaluated for some elbow soreness which occurred during his rehab. Shaw will give the club a bit of veteran non-roster depth while trying to work his way back to the big leagues.

The Halos used six relievers in last night’s 13-inning loss to the Rays, leaving their bullpen fairly taxed. They have other relievers on their 40-man roster they could recall, such as Ben Joyce or Jimmy Herget, but no one in their current bullpen mixed can be optioned down. Since someone currently on the active roster will have to be placed on the injured list or designated for assignment to get a fresh arm in the mix, Shaw might have just as good a chance as someone already on the 40-man.

Soto, 34, has three games of major league experience, which came with the Angels back in 2020. He hit .333/.429/.500 in his seven big league plate appearances but is generally considered to be a glove-first player. Since the start of 2021, he’s hit .224/.310/.318 in the minors, which includes a line of .213/.282/.299 for the Twins’ Triple-A club last year.

He has mostly played shortstop in his career but has also spent time at third base, second base and the outfield, so he can provide the Halos with depth at multiple spots. The club’s regular infielders are all out to slow starts, with each of Zach Neto, Anthony Rendon, Brandon Drury, Luis Rengifo and Nolan Schanuel provided subpar offense to this point in the season. Depth infielder Michael Stefanic is on the injured list while youngster Kyren Paris is on optional assignment in Double-A.

Soto will provide them with some non-roster depth who has been around a while, despite his limited major league track record. If he cracks the roster at any point, he has a full slate of options and just a few days of service time.

White Sox Select Zach Remillard, Justin Anderson; Bryan Shaw Elects Free Agency

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TODAY: Shaw has rejected the outright assignment and chosen free agency, the White Sox announced.

APRIL 12: The White Sox announced a series of roster moves today, selecting the contracts of infielder/outfielder Zach Remillard and right-hander Justin Anderson. To open active roster spots, outfielder Oscar Colás was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte while right-hander Bryan Shaw was designated for assignment. To open another 40-man spot, infielder Yoán Moncada was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

It was reported earlier this week that Moncada is going to miss three to six months due to an adductor strain. Colás was recalled to take his roster spot, but it seems that was just a temporary measure as the club figured out today’s slate of moves. Moncada’s injury left them slightly short-handed in terms of infielders, so they have optioned out Colás today and added another infielder.

Remillard, now 30, got to make his major league debut last year at the age of 29 after spending the better part of a decade in the minors. He hit .252/.295/.320 in his 160 plate appearances last year while stealing four bases and bouncing around the diamond. He played the three infield spots to the left of first base, as well as the outfield corners. He was designated for assignment in January but cleared waivers, sticking with the Sox in a non-roster capacity. Now he’ll get back to the majors, replacing an injured Moncada just as he did last year.

The Sox have been rotating Paul DeJong, Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake through the two middle infield spots so far this year. Lenyn Sosa was in a bench role but started at third with Moncada out of action on Wednesday and could perhaps continue taking that spot. If so, that would leave Remillard serving as the primary depth infielder, though his ability to also play some outfield gives the club a bit of extra flexibility.

Shaw, 36, is a veteran with well over a decade in the big leagues. He signed a minor league deal with the Sox in the offseason and cracked the Opening Day roster but his season didn’t get off to a great start. He has tossed four innings over five appearances thus far, allowing four earned runs on eight hits, striking out four but also walking four.

The Sox have decided to bump him off the roster in favor of some fresh blood in Anderson. The 31-year-old agreed to a minor league pact in November and had a decent Spring Training. He tossed eight innings with three earned runs allowed, striking out ten though also walking five. He reported to Triple-A to begin the season and has tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings there so far this year, with five strikeouts and no walks.

Whenever Anderson gets into a game, it will be his first major league action in years. He pitched for the Angels in 2018 and 2019, with a 4.75 ERA in 102 1/3 innings, but hasn’t been in the show since. Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2020 wiped out that year and most of 2021 as well. In the Rangers’ system in 2022, he made three Triple-A appearances before going on the minor league IL and never returning. He was in the Royals’ system in 2023 but struggled, posting an ERA of 6.87 in 36 2/3 innings.

There were some positive signs last year, however, as he struck out 35.5% of batters faced. He also got better as he went along, with a 3.44 ERA in his last 11 outings and a tiny ERA of 0.63 in the last eight. That’s a very favorable framing for Anderson, but after so much missed time due to injury, it’s possible he was just getting back on track. Since he’s continued to post decent results since joining the Sox, it seems they want to give him a look against big league hitters.

Anderson still has a full slate of options and less than three years of big league service time, so he can be a long-term depth option for the Sox if he justifies his place on the 40-man roster. As for Shaw, the club will have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers. In the latter scenario, he has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency.

White Sox Select Bryan Shaw, Dominic Leone; Designate Sammy Peralta

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The White Sox announced a series of Opening Day transactions, selecting the contracts of right-hander Jordan Leasure, Bryan Shaw and Dominic Leone. The news on Leasure was previously reported. In corresponding moves, they placed left-hander Shane Drohan and right-hander Jimmy Lambert on the 60-day injured list and also designated left-hander Sammy Peralta for assignment.

The White Sox have undergone a huge amount of roster churn since last year, as they kicked off a rebuild last summer and continued it this offseason. As pointed out by Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Michael Kopech is the only pitcher or catcher that remains from last year’s Opening Day roster. The additions of Shaw and Leone will give them some veteran arms to soak up some innings and serve as veteran mentors for some of the younger guys looking to get established.

Shaw, 36, has made 791 major league appearances with a 3.93 earned run average in a career that dates back to 2011. He was also with the Sox last year, tossing 45 2/3 innings with 4.14 ERA, 21.1% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate. He returned on a minor league deal and is now back on the roster.

Leone, 32, is barely halfway to Shaw in terms of major league appearances with 404, having posted an ERA of 3.82 in that time. He pitched for the Mets, Angels and Mariners last year with a 4.67 ERA, 23% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate. He had to settle for a minor league deal this offseason but is now back in the bigs.

Drohan underwent a nerve decompression procedure in his left shoulder about a month ago. It’s unclear when he’ll be able to return from a health perspective, but this transaction means he’s ineligible to be activated before late May. Lambert has been experiencing some shoulder soreness in recent weeks, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. His situation isn’t clear either but it seems the Sox expect him to miss at least a couple of months.

Peralta, 26 in May, made his major league debut last year and tossed 20 innings with a 4.05 ERA, 20% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate. He also tossed 69 innings at Triple-A with a 5.09 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate. The Sox will have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers. He still has a couple of option years remaining.

31 Veterans With Opt-Out Opportunities Looming This Week

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One of the provisions in that 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement is uniform opt-out opportunities for Article XX(B) free agents on minor league deals. An Article XX(B) free agent is one with at least six years of service time who finished the previous season on a major league roster or injured list. Any such player who signs a minor league deal more than ten days prior to Opening Day can opt out of that deal at three points if they haven’t been added to the 40-man roster: five days before Opening Day, May 1 and June 1.

The first uniform opt-out date on this year’s calendar falls Friday at 1pm CT. Any player can trigger his out clause at that point, and the team will subsequently be given a 48-hour window to either add him to the roster or release him. With many clubs around the league dealing with spring injuries, some of these players should be able to find opportunities elsewhere if they can’t find it with their current organization. Their current clubs can prevent them from opting out by giving them a roster spot, but that may involve cutting someone else.

Angels: OF Jake Marisnick, LHP Drew Pomeranz

Marisnick, 33 this month, is a right-handed-hitting fourth outfielder with a plus glove and questionable bat. He can hold his own against right-handed pitching (career .237/.293/.417, 93 wRC+) but is typically overmatched by righties (.223/.274/.365, 74 wRC+). He’s having a huge spring, but the Angels already have Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, Mickey Moniak, Aaron Hicks and Jo Adell on the 40-man roster.

The 35-year-old Pomeranz was a good starter from 2016-17 and a dominant reliever from 2019-21, but he didn’t pitch in 2022-23 due to arm injuries. He’s pitched 6 2/3 innings with the Angels this spring with middling results.

Blue Jays: 3B/2B Eduardo Escobar, 1B Joey Votto

A poor season between the Mets and Angels last year set the stage for the 35-year-old Escobar to take a minor league deal. He’s long been a productive MLB hitter and even topped 30 homers back in 2019, but Escobar’s now in his mid-30s and struggling through an ugly spring while trying to win a spot in a crowded infield mix also featuring Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio, Ernie Clement and Davis Schneider.

Votto, 40, has been connected the Blue Jays seemingly forever due to his Canadian roots. He finally suited up for the Jays after agreeing to a minor league deal and homered in his first at-bat of camp. He’s had a lackluster showing at the plate in each of the past two MLB seasons, however.

Cubs: 1B/OF Garrett Cooper, RHP Carl Edwards Jr., OF David Peralta

An underrated hitter for years in Miami, Cooper slashed .274/.350/.444 in nearly 1300 plate appearances from 2019-22 before a poorly timed down showing in 2023’s walk year. He’s hitting quite well in spring training, and the Cubs don’t have a proven option at first base — though they’re understandably high on 26-year-old trade acquisition Michael Busch.

Edwards had a nice 2022 season with the Nats and posted a solid ERA in 2023 but did so with dismal K-BB numbers. He’s competing for a spot in an uncharacteristically crowded Cubs bullpen and could be squeezed out. The 32-year-old pitched for the Cubs from 2015-19, so Chicago brass knows him well. From 2022-23 in D.C., he posted a 3.07 ERA but a middling 20% strikeout rate against a 10.5% walk rate.

Peralta, 36, has a trio of hits and a walk in ten plate appearances this spring. He was an above-average hitter with the D-backs every season from 2017-20 but has been less consistent of late. He’s a left-handed hitter who’s long had glaring platoon splits and is limited to the outfield corners.

Diamondbacks: SS Elvis Andrus

Andrus is 35 but can still pick it at shortstop or second base. His once above-average speed has faded to the 30th percentile of MLB players, per Statcast, but his range at short remains excellent. Andrus hit .251/.304/.358 (81 wRC+) for the White Sox in 2023 and only has one year of above-average offense (2022) in the past six seasons.

Guardians: RHP Carlos Carrasco

Old friend Cookie Carrasco is fighting for the fifth spot in the Guardians’ rotation, and news of Gavin Williams’ season-opening stint on the injured list could further open the door for the 36-year-old (37 on Thursday) to make the team. Carrasco was torched for a 6.80 ERA with the 2023 Mets. He allowed 1.80 homers per nine frames through 90 innings, with alarming batted-ball metrics (91.5 mph average exit velocity, 48.2% hard-hit rate, 10.7% barrel rate). He was a solid mid-rotation arm as recently as 2022, when he tossed 152 innings of 3.97 ERA ball with sharp strikeout and walk rates.

Marlins: C Curt Casali

The veteran Casali has batted .201/.311/.315 over the past three big league seasons — a 78 wRC+ in 503 plate appearances. The 35-year-old is off to a rough start in camp and is a long shot to unseat defensive-minded Nick Fortes or Christian Bethancourt, both of whom are already on the 40-man roster.

Mets: 1B/DH Ji Man Choi

From 2017-22, Choi hit .254/.363/.465 (130 wRC+) against right-handed pitching. He walked at a 14.4% clip when holding the platoon advantage and fanned at a higher-than-average but still-manageable 24.1% rate. Lefties have always had Choi’s number, however, and his overall production cratered in 2023 while he dealt with Achilles and ribcage injuries. He’s fighting for a bench spot in New York alongside DJ Stewart and others.

Nationals: RHP Matt Barnes, OF Eddie Rosario, OF Jesse Winker

Barnes was an All-Star closer with the Red Sox in 2021 and briefly one of the game’s most dominant relievers, fanning more than 40% of his opponents for the bulk of that season. He wore down beginning in August and hasn’t been the same since a hip injury. Barnes’ velocity and strikeouts were way down in 2023 before he underwent season-ending surgery. He should have a good chance to win a spot in a Nationals bullpen that has little established talent.

Rosario and Winker are both left-handed-hitting outfielders who are best deployed in left field — with Winker having a particularly shaky defensive reputation. Winker is the younger of the two at 30 years old (to Rosario’s 32). Winker was quietly one of the most productive hitters in baseball against right-handed pitching for much of his time in Cincinnati, but knee and neck surgery in October 2022 look to have taken their toll on him. Rosario was the far more productive hitter in 2023. There may not be room for both veterans on the Washington roster. Winker has been in camp longer and been more productive in their small samples.

Orioles: 2B Kolten Wong

The Orioles seem to bring in a veteran infielder coming off a down season almost every year. It’s Wong’s turn in 2023. The 33-year-old was one of the game’s worst hitters in ’23, slashing just .183/.256/.263 in 250 plate appearances between the Mariners and Dodgers. That was beyond out of character for Wong, who’d been an average or better hitter in five of the past six seasons. If the O’s don’t want to rush Jackson Holliday or Coby Mayo, Wong could win a spot on the roster — but he hasn’t hit that well in camp so far.

Pirates: RHP Chase Anderson

It’s been five years since Anderson’s last solid season in a big league rotation, but the well-liked veteran continues to get work each season. From 2020-23, he’s pitched to a 6.19 ERA in 192 MLB frames — including a 5.42 mark in 86 1/3 innings last year (mostly with the Rockies). Anderson doesn’t miss many bats, but he has good command and is having a nice spring with the Pirates. He’s competing with Luis Ortiz, Jared Jones, Roansy Contreras, Domingo German and others for one of two generally open rotation spots in Pittsburgh.

Rangers: INF Matt Duffy, RHP Shane Greene, RHP Jose Urena

A contact-oriented hitter who can play all over the infield, the 33-year-old Duffy faces an uphill battle with Josh Smith, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue all on the 40-man roster ahead of him. Nathaniel Lowe will open the season on the injured list, but that’ll likely work to Jared Walsh’s benefit more than Duffy.

Greene, 35, is a former All-Star closer/setup man who peaked with the Tigers and Braves from 2017-20. He’s thrown just three innings in each of the past two MLB seasons but also turned in strong numbers with the Cubs in Triple-A last year.

The 32-year-old Urena made five dismal starts for the Rockies early in the 2023 season and five solid ones for the White Sox late in the season. He also pitched well for Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate. A solid arm for the Marlins in 2017-18, Urena has a 5.50 ERA in 350 1/3 MLB frames dating back to 2019. He’s had a nice spring and could be a depth piece for an injury-plagued Rangers rotation.

Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi

Odorizzi signed last week and will look to get back on track after a shoulder injury cost him the 2023 season. With the exception of an injury-wrecked 2020 season, he’s been a dependable five-inning starter dating back to 2014 (3.98 ERA in 1216 innings). The Rays’ pitching staff is dealing with plenty of injuries, and Odorizzi should be an option for the Rays early in the season.

Red Sox: 1B C.J. Cron, RHP Michael Fulmer, C Roberto Perez, LHP Joely Rodriguez

Cron has four seasons of 25-plus homers under his belt and was consistently an above-average hitter from 2014-22. Injuries tanked his 2023 season, but he has a strong track record of hitting for power — with largely even platoon splits. He’d make a nice right-handed complement to Triston Casas and/or Masataka Yoshida at first base and designated hitter, providing some insurance against an injury to either.

Perez is an all-glove backup who’s never hit much outside the juiced ball season in 2019, when he popped 24 of his 55 career homers. The Sox figure to go with Reese McGuire and Connor Wong behind the plate, making him a long shot to land a roster spot.

Rodriguez signed a big league deal with the Red Sox prior to the 2023 season but only pitched 11 innings due to injury. He’s having a decent spring training — two runs on nine hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings — and has a good chance to win a spot in a patchwork Red Sox bullpen. If not, his ability to miss bats and pile up grounders would likely draw interest elsewhere.

Fulmer won’t pitch in 2024 after undergoing surgery last summer. His minor league deal is a two-year contract that stretches into 2025. The two sides knew this going into the arrangement and there’s no reason to expect he’ll opt out.

Royals: RHP Tyler Duffey

Duffey was a mainstay in the division-rival Twins’ bullpen and was a high-end setup option at his peak in 2019-21, posting a 2.89 ERA across 144 frames while fanning 29.8% of his opponents. His results slipped in 2022 as he lost some life on his fastball, and he pitched just two MLB frames with the Cubs in 2023. Duffey recently had a procedure to remove a cancerous mole from his shoulder that understandably halted his baseball activity for a bit. He’s hopeful he’ll pitch again this spring, and while the larger takeaway is relief that the melanoma was discovered and quickly treated, his track record could also give him a shot to crack the Royals’ bullpen early in the season.

White Sox: RHP Jesse Chavez, RHP Brad Keller, RHP Dominic Leone, 3B/1B Mike Moustakas, OF Kevin Pillar, RHP Bryan Shaw

Chavez, 40, has been excellent with the Braves in each of the past three seasons but struggled in stints with the Cubs and Angels. He’s having a tough spring with the White Sox but carries a 2.81 ERA in his past 137 2/3 MLB frames, spanning the 2021-23 seasons.

Keller has spent his entire big league career with the Royals but saw his time in Kansas City come to a rough ending. After a three-year run as a solid starter, Keller struggled in three subsequent seasons, culminating in an IL stint for symptoms indicative of thoracic outlet syndrome. He hasn’t pitched in an official spring game for the White Sox.

Leone struggled late in the 2023 season but has a cumulative 3.38 ERA in 157 innings over the past three seasons. He’s having a solid spring training, has late-inning experience, and seems like a decent bet to win a spot in a White Sox bullpen that’s been completely torn down since last summer.

Moustakas has turned in three straight below-average seasons at the plate and is struggling again with the White Sox in camp (.167/.268/.278 in 41 plate appearances). The Sox have Yoan Moncada and Andrew Vaughn at the corners, plus Gavin Sheets as a lefty-swinging first base option (and corner outfielder) off the bench. Moose seems like a long shot to make the club.

Pillar would give the Sox a right-handed complement to lefty-hitting corner outfielders Andrew Benintendi and Dominic Fletcher. He’s 35 and no longer the plus-plus defensive center fielder he once was but could give them some insurance for Luis Robert Jr. in center as well. He hit .228/.248/.416 with nine homers in 206 plate appearances for the Braves last year.

Shaw pitched 45 2/3 innings for the Sox last year and delivered a respectable 4.14 ERA in that time. His production has tailed off substantially since his days as a consistent setup presence in the Cleveland bullpen — evidenced by a 5.07 ERA over his past six seasons. He’s been tagged for a dozen earned runs in 7 1/3 spring frames but does have 10 strikeouts.

White Sox Sign Bryan Shaw To Minors Deal

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The White Sox announced that right-hander Bryan Shaw has been re-signed to a minor league contract.  The deal contains an invitation for Shaw to attend Chicago’s big league spring camp.

This is Shaw’s third minor league deal with the Pale Hose in a little under a year’s time, as he initially signed with the team last spring and then inked a new contract in April after not making the Opening Day roster.  Shaw was eventually selected twice to Chicago’s active roster during the season, with a DFA and an outright assignment in between.

On the field, Shaw delivered a 4.14 ERA over 45 2/3 innings out of the White Sox bullpen.  It was a nice bounceback from the 5.40 ERA that Shaw posted with the Guardians in 2022, as Shaw allowed a lot less hard contact and drastically cut back on his home run rate.  The righty’s 40.2% grounder rate was the lowest of his 13 MLB seasons, which was a bit of a concern since Shaw doesn’t miss many bats (only a 20.9% strikeout rate).  Shaw enjoyed a big finish to his year, as he had an 0.92 ERA over his last 18 appearances and 19 2/3 innings.

Shaw was a quality bullpen workhorse during his prime 2013-17 years with Cleveland, though his results have been much more inconsistent over the last six seasons.  Since Opening Day 2018, Shaw has a 5.07 ERA over 314 innings with the Rockies, Mariners, Guardians, and White Sox, with his 2021 and 2023 seasons standing out as the only successful campaigns within that six-year run.

Now entering his age-36 season, the White Sox can see what Shaw still has left in the tank, and there’s no risk for the club on just a minor league deal.  Depending on how things play out in camp, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Shaw perhaps again end up as a late cut, only to rejoin the Sox again on another minors contract once their roster situation is a little more settled.

Shaw’s return does provide one familiar face within a relief corps that has undergone a big overhaul both this winter and even dating back to last season’s trade deadline.  The five pitchers who made the most appearances for the White Sox last season (Aaron Bummer, Gregory Santos, Kendall Graveman, Reynaldo Lopez, Keynan Middleton) are no longer on the roster, while Shaw’s 45 2/3 frames ranked sixth on Chicago’s list.  While the Sox seem to be leaning towards a rebuild, however, they have also added some veteran arms to fill those gaps in the bullpen, such as John Brebbia, Tim Hill, and minor league signings like Shaw, Jesse Chavez, Dominic Leone, Corey Knebel, and several others.

White Sox Select Bryan Shaw

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The White Sox selected the contract of veteran reliever Bryan Shaw before this evening’s game against the Guardians, according to the MLB.com transaction log. He’s in the majors within a few days of being outrighted off the roster.

Shaw returns to backfill a bullpen that has had a few notable subtractions. Reynaldo López, Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman were all dealt away within the past 48 hours. Keynan Middleton seems likely to follow them out the door, while Aaron Bummer has been the subject of trade attention himself. Chicago will need to cover that lost middle relief work.

The 35-year-old righty has pitched in six games for the ChiSox this year. He’s allowed eight runs in 7 2/3 frames. Shaw has spent the bulk of the season with Triple-A Charlotte, tallying 23 2/3 innings over 23 outings. He carries a 4.94 ERA there, striking out more than a quarter of opponents but issuing walks at a massive 16.5% clip.

White Sox Outright Bryan Shaw

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The White Sox announced that right-hander Bryan Shaw has been outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on the weekend. He will have the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency, though the Sox didn’t indicate whether he’s chosen to exercise that right or not.

Shaw, 35, signed a minor league deal with the club in the offseason. He was later released after not cracking the Opening Day roster but returned on a second minor league deal. He pitched 22 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level, allowing 4.03 earned runs per nine innings. He was selected to the big league roster in early July but allowed eight earned runs in 7 2/3 innings before getting designated for assignment.

That’s obviously a small sample of work and his larger track record is far more impressive. He has a 3.97 ERA in 759 career appearances, dating back to his 2011 debut. He’s struck out 20.7% of batters faced in that time, walking 9.1% of them and keeping the ball on the ground at a 49.6% clip. He was an effective big leaguer as recently as 2021 when he had an ERA of 3.49, though that figure jumped to 5.40 last year and 9.39 so far this year.

All players with more than three years of major league service time or a previous career outright have the right to reject outright assignments and elect free agency. Shaw qualifies on both accounts and could head back to the open market. It’s not yet clear whether he’s done so, but if not, he’ll head to Charlotte and try to work his way back to the big leagues. The White Sox are expected to trade some members of the pitching staff between now and next week’s deadline, which perhaps could open up another opportunity for a veteran like Shaw.

White Sox Activate Joe Kelly, Designate Bryan Shaw

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The White Sox announced that right-hander Joe Kelly has been activated from the 15-day injured list.  In the corresponding move, righty Bryan Shaw was designated for assignment.

Kelly was dealing with inflammation in his throwing elbow, but the issue fortunately proved to be pretty minor, as he has only been out of action since July 5.  After missing just beyond the 15-day minimum, Kelly will now return to Chicago’s bullpen for what might be a nine-day audition for rival teams in advance of the trade deadline.  This is the final guaranteed season of Kelly’s two-year, $17MM contract, and while the White Sox hold a $9.5MM club option ($1MM buyout) on his services for 2024, it is probably safe to view Kelly as a rental piece unless he performs extremely well down the stretch.

Despite a 30.8% strikeout rate, 8.3% walk rate, 56.9% grounder rate, and a 2.90 SIERA, Kelly’s bottom-line numbers haven’t been nearly as good as his secondary stats would indicate.  The reliever’s 4.82 ERA is almost a full two runs higher than his SIERA, and Kelly also has only a 56.6% strand rate, while a .319 BABIP has somewhat counteracted his success at keeping the ball on the ground.  Still, opposing teams are very aware of Kelly’s advanced metrics, so the White Sox figure to draw some attention from bullpen-needy clubs.

Shaw signed a minor league deal with Chicago in late April, which came on the heels of another minors contract earlier in the offseason that resulted in the White Sox releasing the veteran at the end of Spring Training.  Shaw was selected to the 26-man roster earlier this month, but he has a 9.39 ERA over 7 2/3 innings and six appearances in a White Sox uniform.  Over 276 innings since the start of the 2018 season, Shaw has a 5.35 ERA while pitching with the Rockies, Mariners, Guardians, and White Sox, and he hasn’t been particularly effective apart from a solid 2021 season in Cleveland.

Now in his 13th MLB season, Shaw has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A if he clears waivers, though it isn’t known if he’ll again test free agency, or if he’d accept an outright and remain in Chicago’s organization.  It is also possible the White Sox could release him altogether if he clears waivers, and even Shaw’s lack of results this year, it seems unlikely that another club might make a waiver claim.

White Sox Place Michael Kopech On 15-Day IL, Select Bryan Shaw

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The White Sox announced a series of roster moves this afternoon. The club placed right-hander Michael Kopech on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. To fill Kopech’s spot on the active roster, Chicago selected the contract of right-hander Bryan Shaw. To clear space for Shaw on the 40-man roster, infielder Romy Gonzalez was transferred to the 60-day IL.

Kopech, 27, was a first-round pick by the Red Sox in the 2014 draft and came over to the White Sox in the Chris Sale trade prior to the 2017 season. Kopech had a brief cup of coffee in the majors in 2018 that lasted four starts, but became a more permanent fixture of Chicago’s pitching staff in 2021 as a member of the bullpen, where he posted a 3.50 ERA and 2.97 FIP in 69 1/3 innings. 2022 saw the right-hander move to the rotation.

Since then, Kopech’s performance has been solid if unspectacular. In 205 1/3 innings of work across 41 starts, the young hurler has posted a 3.77 ERA and 4.95 FIP. He’s posted a solid 23.3% strikeout rate during that time though his 12.2% walk rate leaves something to be desired, particularly when paired with a groundball rate of just 35.6%. Still, he’s provided solid stability at the back of the club’s rotation. With Kopech joining Mike Clevinger on the shelf, the Sox figure to rely on Tanner Banks and Jesse Scholtens to handle starts in the run-up to the All Star break.

As for Shaw, the veteran hurler was a second-round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2008 draft and was a steady relief option for Arizona and Cleveland from 2011-17, with a 3.13 ERA and 3.52 FIP in 446 1/3 innings of work. In five seasons since then, Shaw has been far less effective, with a 5.23 ERA in 268 1/3 innings of work. He signed with the White Sox on a minor league deal back in April and has delivered a solid 4.03 ERA in 22 1/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level since then. Now, Shaw will join the club’s bullpen mix, covering the middle innings alongside the likes of Gregory Santos and Aaron Bummer.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, heads to the 60-day IL a few weeks after being placed on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation, a designation that will keep him out until late August at the earliest. The utility man hit a paltry .194/.208/.376 in 97 plate appearances for the Sox this season prior to his placement on the IL.

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