Jared Shuster and Nicky Lopez won the best-of-five match in Getz’s first trade…
In exchange, Getz received right-hander Michael Soroka, lefty Jared Schuster, minor league righty Riley Gowens, and infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake.
The finest among them all? Shuster is the one who ranks sixth among Sox players (and pitchers) according to Baseball Reference War, with 0.6 wins above replacement. While the Braves’ 2020 first-round selection, who had a 5.61 ERA in 11 starts the previous season, is a good multi-inning reliever with a 4.57 ERA in 34 appearances and 63 innings, it may not mean much for a team that is losing 109 games. Shuster remarked, “I feel at ease in this role.”
Pitching coach Ethan Katz stated that Shuster might be considered for the starting rotation in 2025, albeit it’s not ruled out. If given the chance, Shuster is all-in, but it will depend on how things work out while Getz puts out a strategy during the summer.
Shuster stated, “If the opportunity was there, I’d be happy to try to be a starter again. There are improvements that need to be made to get through a lineup three times.” Right now, the objective is to finish the year in good health and to continue getting better. In the end? You can never be sure.
Shuster began 11 games last season for the Braves before starting two for the Sox. With an increase in velocity to 93, his slider-changeup-sinker has performed admirably. Katz smoothed things out in his lower body, which helped Shuster raise the point.
Meanwhile, Soroka (5.23 ERA in 22 games, including nine starts) is recovering from a shoulder strain while on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte. Already returning from an Achilles rupture, the former All-Star was improving.
Shewmake was sent down after hitting but was included on the Opening Day roster.hit 125 in 29 games.Before being sidelined due to an ankle ailment, 152 in 10 games at Charlotte.
Lopez is batting after hitting his first home run of the season to start Wednesday’s 8-1 victory in Baltimore, ending a 12-game losing streak. In eleven2 games, 241/.313/.2299. The most valuable additions to the transaction have been Lopez and Shuster, with Gowins sporting a 3.67 ERA in 10 starts—that includes one run allowed in his previous 10 innings since being promoted to Double-A Birmingham.
The Sox won’t be spending a lot of money in free agency this winter, but it will be interesting to see how they bolster a rotation that might include lefties Ky Bush, Nick Nastrini, Jairo Ariarte, and Jonathan Cannon, among others.
If lefty Garrett Crochet is not traded, he will start the Opening Day game, but he is expected to go; therefore, a lefty will be needed. Noah Schultz and Chris Hagen, two of the Sox’s best left-handed pitching prospects, are currently playing at Double-A Birmingham and Advanced-A Winston Salem, respectively, and have the potential to play in the major leagues the following season.
And there’s Shuster, of course. Assistant general manager Josh Barfield stated, “You look at where we are right now [two 100-loss seasons in a row], and part of that is giving young guys opportunities to come up here and grow, and hopefully when everybody is starting to come into their own, that’s when that window starts to open up.”
Doug Sisson, the temporary bench coach, is aware that Lenyn Sosa, an infielder who came up through the White Sox farm system, struggles with basic fielding skills.
We are responsible, Sisson told the SunTimes. I’m in charge of our system, and he entered through it. I interpret it as personal. We must continue to press the issue because this is behavior that shouldn’t be occurring at this stage of his career.
Despite mostly playing second and third base, Sosa has made poor throws from the outfield and hasn’t always started grounders that could result in double plays with precision. When it comes to fly balls and grounders, he has miscommunicated with the outfield and infield.
Sisson joined the coaching staff after manager Pedro Grifol and three coaches were sacked on August 8. Sisson was starting his ninth season as the Sox’s field coordinator on the player-development staff. He claimed that these lessons have been imparted to Sosa “countless times.”
Sisson declared, “I’m not big on talking; it’s drilling, it’s working on things.” Can’t let go of him. resolute in my pursuit of him. Still, we have to tidy things up. We need to improve his game. The 24-year-old Sosa is seventh on the team with 78 game appearances.
“Make no excuses,” said Sisson. “It’s not a new level; rather, the game is speeding up on him and moving too quickly.” There is no surrendering. I want the child to play well for us.
Sosa is viewed by the Sox as a pop-hitting, versatile infielder. There’s something to be argued for the fact that studio analyst Frank Thomas believes highly of his attacking ability. However, he is batting.According to Baseball Reference, he is a minus-1.8 wins-above-replacement player this season after hitting 214/.247/.292 with 11 home runs in 494 plate appearances over parts of three seasons. His minor league career slugging percentage of.279/.321/.435 is noticeably higher.
Sosa was not looking last week during a game against the Rangers when catcher Chuckie Robinson’s warm-up throw hit him in the face. This scene is going to be remembered as one of the low points of a bad season. Sosa escaped severe harm, though he was momentarily stunned.
Foster remembered that Toussaint DFA’d.
Right-hander Matt Foster, who was summoned from Triple-A Charlotte, took Touki Toussaint’s spot on the active roster after the Sox designated him for assignment. Foster pitched two scoreless innings against the Orioles and made appearances in two games for the Sox this season, giving up no runs in three innings.
In 23 innings in 11 bullpen appearances this season, Toussaint (7.43 ERA) gave up 19 earned runs, 35 hits, and 18 walks. He gave up four runs, seven hits, and two walks in two and a half innings during the Sox’s 13-3 loss to the Orioles on Monday, their 11th straight loss.In 110 games over his Sox career, Foster has a 4.28 ERA. It was his first game back following Tommy John surgery on August 16 against the Astros. In 15 innings pitched for Charlotte this season, he had a 2.40 ERA.
Eloy vs the Sox
Despite not playing in the first game of the series on Monday, Eloy Jimenez—who the Sox traded to the Orioles at the trade deadline—was the designated hitter on Tuesday. Before the game, Jimenez grinned at the notion of playing the Sox. Jimenez went 2-for-4 against Sox starter Nick Nastrini in the second inning after walking on four pitches.
“Considering how my numbers were [bad], I never expected it,” he remarked of the transfer. God, however, has different ideas. “Yes, it was a good thing for me, but it’s not how I wanted to end with the White Sox.” for all parties involved.