While we all await the big move ahead of the impending lockout, the White Sox quietly added a pair of arms to their farm system.
According to the team’s website, right-handed pitchers Emilio Vargas and Cam Hill recently agreed to terms on minor league deals this past Sunday. Both players have since been assigned to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.
Vargas, 25, was originally claimed off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks a little over a year ago. After bouncing around a bit within the organization, the Dominican Republic native eventually logged some innings with the Double-A Birmingham Barons this summer. In 21 games, he went 7-4 with a 2.90 ERA (27 ER/83.2 IP) with 99 strikeouts, 28 walks, a .225 opponent average, and 1.16 WHIP. Vargas later elected to become a free agent on November 7th before rejoining the club.
As for Hill, the 27-year-old is a long-time member of Cleveland’s organization. Drafted in the 17th round of the 2014 draft, the righty finally saw his first taste of the majors in 2020. Making appearances in 18 games, he went 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA (10 ER/18.1 IP) with 16 strikeouts, 5 walks, 5.43 FIP, and 0.873 WHIP. Spending a portion of the 2021 season on the injured list as part of the aftermath of a car accident, Hill would be assigned to Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate and accumulated a 1-1 record, 8.03 ERA (22 ER/24.2 IP), .330 opponent average, and 1.99 WHIP in that span. He will no doubt be looking for a fresh start to turn things around.
Now for everyone frustrated by the lack of activity from the front office, let’s take a deep breath. We all know these two signings aren’t particularly flashy, but they’re still very common every offseason and should not be viewed by fans as alternatives to signing free agents at the Major League level. Obviously, the current situation doesn’t make matters any better with countless premium free agents landing deals ahead of December 1st. Until the front office really opens up the wallet, all we can do is join the rest of you in refreshing our Twitter feeds.
Be sure to follow us on social media @SoxOn35th for more updates as we get them!
Featured Photo: Guardians Prospective/Twitter
