The Chicago White Sox continued to make some moves behind the scenes.
After adding Darren Baker – son of Dusty Baker – to their farm system earlier this week, the White Sox have signed two more players to minor league deals. The first move became official on February 16, with right-handed pitcher Austin Voth joining the organization. The 33-year-old spent the majority of his career with the Washington Nationals.
Voth appeared in a total of 24 games between 2018 and 2020, starting 21 of those outings. Struggling to find consistency, however, he was eventually moved to a bullpen role in 2021 before the Nationals DFA’d him the following season. The Baltimore Orioles swooped in to add Voth to their starting rotation, where he started 17 of 22 games and registered a career-high 3.04 ERA.
Nevertheless, Baltimore put him back in the bullpen the following season, where Voth’s inconsistency re-emerged. This ultimately led to the end of his run out East, as he went on to sign a prove-it deal with the Seattle Mariners for the 2024 season.
To his credit, he pitched decently well in his 61.0 innings, which also marked the second-most of his career. The 3.69 ERA and career-low hard hit rate of 29.5 weren’t enough to convince the Mariners to keep him around, though. Voth then opted to take his talents to the Nippon league for a gap year, where he threw a career-high 92 strikeouts over his 22 starts.
The White Sox have found success in the past targeting former MLB arms who took a trip overseas. Erick Fedde in 2024 is the primary example, and the team even chose to bring him back into the fold this offseason after he bounced around the league last season. The team is also hoping to find success with Anthony Kay. Previously with the Mets, Blue Jays, and Cubs, Kay pitched in the Nippon League over the last two seasons and is fresh off a breakout year.
Only time will tell whether Voth can prove to crack the big league roster at some point this season. White Sox fans know well that this organization has no lack of potential options on the mound, but Voth’s 235.1 innings of MLB experience could bode well for him. Especially if the team ends up winning more games than expected, it could be easier to go with a veteran presence over another newbie. Not to mention, he provides something a little different with his off-speed touch.
White Sox Add Another Infielder
Mar 5, 2021; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Andy Weber against the Cleveland Indians during a Spring Training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Chicago’s other signing came on February 17, as they inked former Cubs prospect Andy Weber to a minor league contract. With their crosstown rival between 2018 and 2023, Weber eventually ended up inside the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Over the last couple of seasons, he’s danced between both Double and Triple-A as an everyday player.
The 2025 season proved to be the best of Weber’s career. The 28-year-old slashed .310/.358/.427 over his 404 plate appearances with the Reno Aces. His K-rate sat at just 13.7 percent, and he also managed to record 43 RBIs.
Nevertheless, the road to a big league opportunity for Weber is difficult to see. While it never hurts to have some depth in the infield in case injuries arise, the Sox have multiple highly-touted prospects who are expected to hold down the fort. They also have a utility man like Luisangel Acuna ready to fill in when needed.