The White Sox introduced that they’ve claimed right-hander Penn Murfee off waivers from the Astros. The Sox additionally introduced that righties Matt Foster and Jimmy Lambert each elected free company in lieu of accepting outright assignments, indicating each gamers cleared waivers just lately.
Murfee, 31 in Might, posted robust outcomes for the Mariners in 2022 and 2023. He tossed 83 1/3 innings with a 2.70 earned run common, 27.9% strikeout fee and eight.5% stroll fee. Sadly, he’s been on ice for some time, having undergone UCL surgical procedure in June of 2023.
Since then, he has bounced across the league, going to the Mets, Braves, Astros and now White Sox by way of waiver claims. He started a rehabbing in August of this yr however that task was shut down after only one look with the Astros saying he had “a reoccurrence of proper elbow discomfort.”
His present standing is unclear however the White Sox are maybe the group finest positioned to be affected person with him. They only wrapped up the worst season within the trendy period of baseball and might’t be anticipated to return to rivalry any time quickly. Murfee can nonetheless be retained for 4 extra seasons and the Sox will see if they’ll get him again on observe.
Foster, 30 in January, has thrown 119 1/3 innings in his main league profession with a 4.30 ERA, 23.1% strikeout fee and eight.7% stroll fee. He had Tommy John surgical procedure in April of 2023 and has missed many of the previous two years.
He may have been retained for subsequent yr by way of arbitration with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $900K wage. Nevertheless, this transfer signifies the White Sox didn’t need him again at that value level, nor did any of the opposite golf equipment who all handed on the possibility to seize him off waivers.
Lambert, 30 this month, has thrown 99 2/3 innings for the Sox in his huge league profession with a 4.33 ERA, 22.1% strikeout fee and 11.3% stroll fee. He exhausted his closing possibility yr in 2023 and went on to spend all of 2024 on the injured record, ultimately present process shoulder surgical procedure in August. He certified for arbitration for the primary time this winter and was projected for a $1.2MM wage subsequent yr however the Sox determined minimize him from the roster.
Each he and Foster have not less than three years of service time, which provides them the best to reject outrights assignments and elect free company. Each gamers exercised their rights and can head to the open market looking for their respective subsequent alternatives.
