Another bullpen arm has been added to the organization.
This afternoon, the White Sox claimed right-handed pitcher Parker Markel off waivers from the Oakland Athletics. The veteran hurler has since been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.
Markel, 31, originally signed a minor league deal with the A’s this past offseason and has spent the majority of his time with their Triple-A affiliate. While there, he owned a rather impressive 3-0 record, .191 opponent average, 1.89 ERA, and 1.21 WHIP over 19.0 IP (17 games). The reliever also made a brief stint in Oakland before his release, throwing a combined 3.0 IP over three appearances with a 0.00 ERA, 6.14 FIP, and 2.000 WHIP.
Between his latest stint with the A’s and his previous with the Mariners and Pirates, Markel has been known for his high strikeout rate, as well as his command issues. While at Triple-A Las Vegas this year, he struck out 35.4% of his opponents to go along with an uninspiring 12.7% walk rate. The same issues followed him to the major league level, where he went on to walk five of the 13 hitters he faced in his scoreless outings.
For the White Sox, the goal will consist of limiting Markel’s less than ideal 14.1% career Triple-A walk rate during his time in Charlotte. It’s been enough of an issue that’s limited him to just 25 career innings in the Majors, despite his ability to throw a mid-90s fastball and fan at least 30% of the hitters he faces. Though his track record has shown no improvement with regard to his command, his numbers have been intriguing enough to otherwise give him a shot.
With today’s waiver claim, Markel has also presented an interesting situation by filling out the last available spot on the team’s 40-man roster. This means the Sox will need to remove a player in order to add Lance Lynn when he is reinstated early next week.
As we learn more about the coming roster moves, we will provide updates here and on social media @SoxOn35th.
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