The Chicago White Sox have claimed left-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison off waivers from the Atlanta Braves and added him to the 40-man roster.

Rolison was a first-round draft pick by the Colorado Rockies in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Ole Miss. Despite his high status as a draft pick and a prospect, his professional career never quite got on track early. Rolison battled shoulder injuries throughout the minor leagues and endured multiple setbacks—including a COVID-19 seasons cancellation shortly after being drafted—before eventually transitioning from a starting role to the bullpen in 2024.

Advertisement

A strong 2025 season at Triple-A earned Rolison a call-up, and he made his MLB debut with the Rockies on May 13, 2025. The results at the big-league level were rough. Rolison posted a 7.02 ERA across 42.1 innings as a rookie and struggled to consistently miss bats or limit damage.

Now 28 years old, Rolison was traded to the Atlanta Braves for cash earlier this offseason, but was later designated for assignment to make room for Atlanta’s recent roster additions.

There are some underlying traits that make him at least mildly interesting. Rolison produced a respectable 47.9% ground-ball rate with Colorado in 2025 and allowed a surprisingly strong average exit velocity against him. The problem, however, is that both his walk rate and strikeout rate remain well below average, leaving him little margin for error.

Still, Rolison showed flashes in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League and carries the pedigree of a former first-round pick—exactly the type of arm the White Sox are willing to roll the dice on in Spring Training.

Advertisement

He wouldn’t be the first pitcher to have newfound success after leaving Coors Field and the Rockies. That’s always hard place to pitch, but going 43-119 only made it worse. White Sox fans know that well. This is certainly going to be a welcome change of scenery.

It’s a crowded group of left-handers competing for bullpen spots in Chicago. Cam Booser was non-tendered and Fraser Ellard unexpectedly retired, but the organization still has Brandon Eisert, Tyler Gilbert, Bryan Hudson, and newly acquired Chris Murphy in the mix. More free agent additions could be coming.

It’s hard to envision Rolison breaking camp with the big-league club, but if he takes a step forward, the White Sox would have multiple years of control as they continue trying to piece together a sustainable bullpen core.

At worst, it’s organizational depth in the minors and another left-handed arm worth a look.