The defending American League Central champion Chicago White Sox made a move to bolster their bullpen on Saturday by inking veteran relief pitcher Joe Kelly to a two-year, per Bob Nightengale on Twitter. The move came in the midst of a flurry of signings on Saturday.
Kelly spent the past three seasons in Los Angeles with the Dodgers where he found a significant amount of success. Kelly posted a quality 2.86 ERA in 48 games for the Dodgers in 2021. Despite his age of 33, Kelly still has a blazing fastball that presides in the high 90's to go along with impressive breaking stuff which makes him a very reliable option out of any bullpen. He has been one of the more underrated arms in the game of the past few years.
The White Sox already have one of the best bullpens in baseball with closer Liam Hendriks leading the charge. But adding Kelly should help Chicago in the postseason. Last year, their bullpen faltered in the American League Divisional Round and the White Sox ultimately fell to the Houston Astros. But Kelly's veteran presence will add a necessary element of depth to the Sox relief core.
This is a team that has more than winning the division on their minds. They have World Series aspirations and anything short of that goal would be considered a failure for Chicago in 2022. So although Kelly's signing might not make the top headlines, this is the sort of under the radar move that help teams win in the long run.
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