Update (5:50 PM CT on 12/5): According to Jeff Passan, last night’s rumored interest in Erick Fedde by the White Sox was very real. The team has reportedly signed Fedde to a two-year, $15M contract – presumably, much in part to their ability to guarantee Fedde a rotation spot throughout 2024.
Original Post: The White Sox may be close to finding some of the pitching help they will be searching for in 2024.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the White Sox and Mets are the two teams in on right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde, who could be making his decision as soon as tomorrow.
A former consensus top 100 prospect, Fedde struggled to find any sustained success in his major league career. This led him to play overseas last season for the NC Dinos of the KBO. He was incredibly impressive in 180.1 innings pitching, going 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA, posting 10.4 K/9 and just 1.7 BB/9 – both vast improvements on his major league statistics. In parts of six major league seasons from 2017-2022, Fedde went 21-33 with a 5.41 ERA, posting a 7.0 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9.
As Feinsand mentioned, Fedde is not expected to command a large contract – rather, simply one that will allow the 31-year-old to get back into the major leagues and prove his worth. Perhaps not surprisingly, these are the sorts of chances the White Sox are going to be taking throughout this offseason – players who can potentially rebuild some value and be swapped at the trade deadline. A change in arsenal – most prominently, the addition of a sweeper – led to Fedde’s success in the KBO (along with, of course, the lesser degree of competition). However, at the very least, Fedde’s 180.1 innings last season speak to his health and availability to eat innings for the White Sox next season.
As more information becomes available, we will continue to provide updates.
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