There are still plenty of free agent relievers unsigned for the White Sox to pick from, but the list of best available options is quickly shrinking. Last week the Nationals signed Will Harris to a three-year contract and during the weekend the Padres re-signed Craig Stammen.
The 35-year-old right-hander returns to San Diego, where he’s pitched for the past three seasons.
Stammen, who will be 36 by Opening Day this season, was briefly linked to the White Sox earlier in the offseason at the Winter Meetings. However, no talks with him or any other free agent reliever have gotten serious with the White Sox, as they’ve been busy fortifying the rest of their roster.
Since joining the Padres in 2017, Stamman has recorded a 3.06 ERA in 241.1 innings. He’s been incredibly reliable, pitching at least 79 innings in each of the last three years.
The White Sox obviously want to improve their bullpen, but as the good options dwindle in free agency they may opt to dabble in a trade or two to find solid relievers. The latest speculation is that backup catcher James McCann could be dealt to bring a bullpen arm back in a trade.
As for the top free agent relievers left, Daniel Hudson and Steve Cishek are still looking for deals. They were both in MLBTR’s top-50 free agents list entering this offseason.
UPDATE
Daniel Hudson has now re-signed with the Nationals.
