The Chicago White Sox are suffering through an historically bad season. The team is just seven losses away from finishing with back-to-back 100 loss seasons and the White Sox could finish with the worst record in modern baseball history. Things are so bad in Chicago that the team announced they’d be lowering season ticket prices for 2025.
Despite the complete ineptitude on display on the South Side, there’s still baseball to be played. And the White Sox need pitchers to eat up innings until their season mercifully ends. With that in mind, the team claimed reliever Enyel De Los Santos off waivers after he was designated for assignment by the New York Yankees, according to Chicago's official account on X.
The Yankees upgraded at the trade deadline by acquiring third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins and relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs. In a more under-the-radar move, New York also picked up De Los Santos in a deadline deal with the Padres.
The Yankees added De Los Santos in the hope that he would provide some depth for the bullpen. Unfortunately the 28-year-old journeyman failed to impress in five appearances with New York. He posted a 14.21 ERA, 2.526 WHIP, 7.1 K/9 and an ERA+ of 31 in 6.1 innings in the Bronx.
The White Sox snatched ex-Yankee Enyel De Los Santos off waivers
After the well-traveled righty gave up eight hits and seven earned runs in 1.2 innings during a blowout loss to the lowly White Sox, the Yankees had seen enough. New York designated De Los Santos for assignment two days later on August 14 when they placed Chisholm Jr. on the 10-day IL.
Being desperate for pitchers to throw the required remaining innings of the 2024 season, the White Sox pounced and claimed De Los Santos off of waivers. Considering that he contributed to a win for Chicago before becoming a member of the team, this could be a promising match.
Unfortunately for De Los Santos, he’ll land in baseball purgatory. It’s a particularly hard landing considering he’s played for two teams likely bound for the postseason before ending up with the White Sox. De Los Santos started the season with the San Diego Padres. He performed better in San Diego than in New York with a 4.46 ERA, 1.289 WHIP, 10.7 K/9 and an ERA+ of 92 in 40.1 innings. Still, the Padres decided to jettison him at the deadline.
De Los Santos will join a predictably terrible bullpen in Chicago. White Sox relievers rank 28th or worst in ERA, saves, HR/9, batting average against, WHIP, FIP, WPA and fWAR.
Although Chicago claimed De Los Santos as an extra arm in their race to the bottom, it’s possible the six-year veteran outperforms his recent production when given a bit more run. He was at his best in Cleveland where he put up back-to-back quality seasons in 2022 and 2023 for the Guardians. In 2023 he produced a 131 ERA+ and 1.1 bWAR in 65.2 innings. Still in his athletic prime, it’s possible the best is yet to come for De Los Santos. At the very least, he’ll be able to grow his beard back now that he’s out of New York.
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