White Sox Make Unexpected Move as Bullpen Shakeup Begins

As of this afternoon, major league free agency has officially started, so players are now free to sign with any team they wish. Unlike other sports, baseball free agency is much more of a slow burn, so I wouldn’t expect any major moves soon.

On top of that, the White Sox aren’t likely to be active in free agency, despite the fact that their payroll is likely to be one of the lowest in the league. Fans will likely have to settle for some activity in the trade market, as well as a few buy low candidates to flip at the deadline.

While the White Sox did not make a free agent signing today, they did acquire a new player from Houston, as they claimed Penn Murfee off waivers from the Astros.

This is a very intriguing move, as Murfee has been extremely effective in his limited major league experience. Murfee is a 30 year old reliever who made his MLB in debut in 2022 for the Seattle Mariners. That year, he would pitch in 64 games, tossing 69.1 innings. In those innings, he had a very good 2.99 ERA with a fantastic .952 WHIP. He would strike out 76 batters while walking just 18. This was a fantastic debut season for Murfee, even at the age of 28.

Murfee also pitched very well in the 2023 season, as he had a 1.29 ERA in 14 appearances. He would eventually need Tommy John surgery, so he had to miss the entire 2024 season.

Murfee is a very solid addition, as he could be an effective bullpen piece for the White Sox who desperately need help in the ‘pen. Since he is 30, expect him to be flipped to a contender at the deadline if he pitches well. The bullpen seems like the most likely spot for Chris Getz to acquire players to flip at the deadline.

Accordingly, the White Sox announced the departure of two other bullpen arms, as both Matt Foster and Jimmy Lambert have elected free agency instead of an assignment to the minor leagues. Unfortunately, due to injury, both haven’t pitched much for the White Sox the last few seasons.

Lambert and Foster had solid careers for the White Sox, as both had a standout year. In 2022, Jimmy Lambert had a 3.26 ERA over 46 innings, while in 2020, Matt Foster had a 2.20 ERA over 28 innings.

I could see another team offering either of them a minor league deal, as they can both still be an effective major league reliever. There is always a chance they return to the White Sox, but with Chris Getz at the helm, it is likely he will do his best to completely overhaul the roster.

This signals the start of what will likely be another busy offseason for Chris Getz, as he showed us last year that he wasn’t afraid to have 80+ guys in Spring Training. Expect more of the same this year, as they will likely sign a bunch of guys to minor league deals and invite them to Spring Training.