While the White Sox decide whether or not to make moves to bolster their major league roster, they’ve made a pretty significant promotion on the farm. RHP Norge Vera along with RHP Nick Gallagher have both been promoted to High-A Winston-Salem from the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.
The Cannon Ballers announced this move on Twitter this afternoon.
Vera, 22, is the name most White Sox fans are familiar with, as he started this season with a lat injury and has really gotten going over the past few months. In 24 innings this season, Vera has a 1.88 ERA, striking out 35.4% of batters and allowing a .143 AVG against him. In July, Vera struck out an impressive 41.7% of batters. He has struggled with walks a bit, with his walk rate around 15%, but this is something he will likely continue to work on as he moves through the system. He still appears to be on a pitch/innings limit as he works back from his lat injury, but he is still throwing the easy 100 mph Sox fans were told about when he first signed with the team.
With some continued health, Vera will likely become a top 100 prospect in baseball sooner rather than later.
Gallagher, 26, is an interesting name that obviously doesn’t catch as much notoriety. Drafted in the 16th round back in 2017 by the Guardians, Gallagher – in a small sample size – has shown both stuff and command that had rarely been shown in previous seasons. In 9.1 innings with the Sox, Gallagher hasn’t given up a run while striking out a hilarious 47.1% of batters out of the bullpen while walking just 5.9%. Because of his advanced age, Gallagher likely will face more challenges once he gets to higher levels, but at current, he gets the chance to continue to make a name for himself out of the bullpen.
As the season continues and more names get added to the minor league system following the draft, look for a few more roster moves (promotions/demotions) in the coming months. We will update you as more of these moves become known.
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Featured Image: @Kcannonballers / Twitter
