Rick Hahn made his first signing of the offseason. Unfortunately for Chicago White Sox fans, it did not move the needle as far as big names are concerned. However, they may have a case for the most unusual story of the offseason. They added a former banker. 

Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to report that the White Sox inked left-handed pitcher Nate Fisher to a minor league deal. He will receive an invite to Spring Training next season. Fisher earned the nickname “The Banker” for his time working with the First National Bank of Omaha. His career arch has not been the most conventional. 

The Seattle Mariners released Fisher in May 2020. At the time, he thought his baseball career was over, so he decided to go back to the place it all started. Fisher, who was born in Omaha and played four years of college ball at the University of Nebraska, decided to return home. Back in Omaha, he began evaluating loans for First National Bank. 

That was until the Mariners resurrected his career and gave him another opportunity in June 2021. He made the most of it, posting a 2.89 ERA in 37 1/3 innings of work with four minor league teams. He had an impressive 31.8% strikeout rate accompanied by a 7.4% walk rate.

That was enough to get the attention of the New York Mets, who signed him to a minor league deal that offseason. He opened the season with a 3.77 ERA in 28.2 innings in Double-A. The fast start earned him a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse. Fisher served as a swiss army knife throwing outings that spanned anywhere from two to five innings. In 431/3 innings, he pitched to the tune of a 3.12 ERA. In August, he made his MLB debut and threw three scoreless innings against a high powered Phillies offense. 

His lone three innings in the big leagues were much like his path to get there. Unusual. Fisher threw a scoreless frame in his maiden MLB appearance, then walked Kyle Schwarber to lead off the sixth inning. His debut was then interrupted by a rain delay. Fisher had to sit for 15 minutes, then quickly try and warm back up in the bullpen before play resumed. The adversity didn’t seem to phase him, as he tossed two more scoreless innings. 

After the game, he was designated for the assignment and outrighted soon after. Fortunately for Fisher, his 2022 performance was enough to peak the White Sox interest. He will be facing some competition to crack the 40-man roster. 

The White Sox already have left-handed relievers Aaron Bummer, Jake Diekman, and Garrett Crochet. All three have solidified their roles in the White Sox bullpen. However, Tanner Banks and Bennett Sousa, who debuted in 2022, may have to fight for their roster spot on a daily basis. Both could be optioned and recalled throughout the 2023 season. 

Taking a flier on Fisher seems like a risk worth taking to add depth to the White Sox bullpen. That wasn’t the only move the front office executed this week. 

Two Infield Prospects Added To 40-Man Roster

Tuesday night marked the deadline to protect eligible players from the Rule 5 draft, and the White Sox chose to add minor leaguers Bryan Ramos and Jose Rodriguez to the 40-man roster. The White Sox currently have 38 players on their 40-man roster after making their first offseason moves. 

Ramos has been with the organization since 2018 after he signed out of Cuba at the age of 16. He is a 225-pound third baseman who also has spent time at second base and designated hitter. Ramos played his first full minor league season with Kannapolis in 2021, slashing .244/.345/.415 with 13 home runs. He worked his way up to Double-A Birmingham the following season and showed some power along the way. He hit 22 home runs with a .455 slugging percentage in 120 games between High-A and Double-A.

Last season, Ramos spent most of the year with High-A Winston-Salem. He produced solid numbers slashing .275/.350/.471 with 19 home runs. The Cuba native has good plate discipline for a player with his power. In 2022 he posted just a 16.4% strikeout rate. Baseball America ranks him as the third-highest prospect in the White Sox farm system. 

Rodriguez was a part of the same international signing class as Ramos in 2018-19. The Dominican Republic native is also an infielder. He can play shortstop, second, and third base. Rodriguez puts the ball in play with a good balance of power. In 2021 he batted .301 with 14 home runs and a .807 OPS throughout three different levels. The 21-year-old spent most of that season in Kannapolis. After 78 games, he was moved to High-A Winston Salem, where many assumed he would finish the season. But after batting .361 with five home runs in 29 games, he was quickly moved to Double-A for the season’s final six games. 

In 2022 Rodrigues showed his potential as a threat on the basepaths by swiping 40 bags in Double-A Birmingham. In 484 plate appearances, the 175-pound infielder slashed .280/.340/.430 with 11 home runs. He also posted a 13.6 strikeout rate. Despite owning better numbers than Ramos, he is considered the White Sox’s number five prospect, according to Baseball America. 

Both players will be protected from the Rule 5 Draft during the Winter Meetings on December 7th. In the meantime, there is still plenty of work to be done. Rick Hahn and the front office still have decisions to make. Unprotected players can be added from other teams via the Rule 5 Draft, hence where the legend of Yermin Mercedes was born. 

The White Sox can add players from other teams via the Rule 5 Draft. They also can make trades and sign free agents in the meantime, to fill out their roster.

The current roster is as follows:

Pitchers

• Tanner Banks
• Jason Bilous
• Aaron Bummer
• Dylan Cease
• Garrett Crochet
• Jake Diekman
• Matt Foster
• Lucas Giolito
• Kendall Graveman
• Liam Hendriks
• Joe Kelly
• Michael Kopech
• Jimmy Lambert
• Reynaldo Lopez
• Lance Lynn
• Davis Martin
• Nicholas Padilla
• Jose Ruiz
• Bennett Sousa
• Jonathan Stiever

Catcher

• Yasmani Grandal
• Carlos Perez
• Seby Zavala

Infielders

• Tim Anderson
• Jake Burger
• Leury Garcia
• Romy Gonzalez
• Danny Mendick
• Yoan Moncada
• Bryan Ramos
• Jose Rodriguez
• Lenyn Sosa

Outfielders

• Adam Engel
• Eloy Jimenez
• Mark Payton
• Luis Robert Jr.
• Gavin Sheets
• Andrew Vaughn

There is likely still going to be a shakeup of the roster. After AJ Pollock declined his club option, Rick Hahn has an extra $8 million to play with. They will need to decide how to fill the hole at second base and right field. Internal candidates include Oscar Colas, who Rick Hahn mentioned as a potential replacement for Pollock. Danny Mendick, who is coming off a season-ending injury, is also in play at second base.