The White Sox aren’t waiting until next week’s MLB Winter Meetings to pursue free agents.
On Wednesday, the South Siders signed former Blue Jays southpaw Anthony Kay to a two-year, $12 million deal. His contract includes a $10 million option for 2028 and a $2 million buyout. Kay becomes the 35th player on the 40-man roster and fills Chicago’s need for a veteran starter.
Kay joins the Sox after a two-year breakout stint with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. He held a career 5.59 ERA and 1.61 WHIP over five years in MLB while pitching out of the bullpen, but he was a completely different hurler in Japan. Promoted to the rotation, Kay collected a cumulative 2.49 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 84 earned runs in just over 300 innings for the BayStars. His impressive 9-6 record, backed by a 1.74 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP over 155 innings, shows marked growth and development since leaving the majors.
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Chris Getz pulled an old trick out of his pocket with the hopes that Kay’s tenure on the Sox will pan out as Erick Fedde’s did in 2024. Fedde struggled for six years with the Nationals before he revived his career with the KBO. He returned stateside on a two-year, $15 million deal with the Sox, serving as a solid innings-eater and mentor for the young starters on the squad. Kay clearly has the potential to be more than just a workhorse for the Pale Hose, but the real test will be if his success in Japan translates to Chicago. At the very least, he provides lefty depth and ages a young rotation, which shouldn’t be dismissed. At best, he becomes a valuable trade chip in July or even stays on with the club and becomes their new ace.
In a stealthy, strategic manner, Getz tipped off his Winter Meetings strategy early. Sox fans should expect similar budget-friendly, buy-low, sell-high free agents to join the team in the coming weeks. While few roster moves are dramatic in the second year of a rebuild, the GM may be able to prove that strategy doesn’t need to be glamorous.