The Chicago White Sox continued to stack up on left-handed pitching this offseason, signing Sean Newcomb to a one-year, $4.5 million contract Tuesday.
Newcomb, 32, went 2-5 with a 2.73 ERA, two saves, four holds and 91 strikeouts in 48 combined appearances (five starts) for the Boston Red Sox and the Athletics in 2025.
Newcomb ranked fifth in the majors among left-handed relievers in ERA (2.19) and tied for seventh in innings pitched (70). He was dealt to the A’s on May 27, and his 1.75 ERA after May 29 was the seventh-best among major-league relievers with at least 45 innings pitched.
He is 30-30 with a 4.20 ERA, four saves, 25 holds and 529 strikeouts in 223 outings (65 starts) during nine major-league seasons with the Atlanta Braves (2017-22), Chicago Cubs (2022), A’s (2023-24, 2025) and Red Sox (2025).
His 92 1/3 innings in 2025 were the third-most in his career. He pitched 164 innings in 2018 while making 30 starts (31 overall appearances) with the Braves. And he had 100 innings in 19 starts with the Braves during his rookie season in 2017.
Newcomb worked largely in a relief role in 2019 and appeared in a career-high 55 games (four starts). His first five outings in 2025 with the Red Sox were starts before shifting to the bullpen.
Newcomb’s signing comes two weeks after the White Sox and left-handed starter Anthony Kay formally agreed to terms on a two-year, $12-million deal. Kay, who has five years of major-league experience, spent the last two seasons with the Yokohama BayStars in Nippon Professional Baseball’s Japanese Central League.
In November, the White Sox acquired left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy in a trade with the Red Sox. While Murphy made 23 relief appearances during three stints with the Red Sox in 2025, he does have experience in the minors as a starter.
To make room for Newcomb on the 40-man roster, the White Sox designated left-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison for assignment. The Sox had claimed Rolison, 28, off waivers from the Braves on Dec. 12. He made his major-league debut with the Colorado Rockies in 2025, going 1-0 with a 7.02 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 31 appearances (one start) over four stints.