Another one has bit the dust for the Chicago White Sox.
Before the series finale against the Twins, the Sox announced that Bryse Wilson was DFA’d from the organization for the second time this season. Wilson’s 6.65 ERA and 1.82 WHIP as a reliever leave no questions as to why he was released…. again.
Wilson’s release isn’t a one-off. It’s a horrible pattern.
Between the offseason and today, the Sox have signed or claimed nine relievers. Below are the stats for each:
- Tyler Gilbert 41 IP, 4.61 ERA, 1.32 WHIP
- Elvis Peguero 9 ⅓ IP, 6.75 ERA, 1.93 WHIP
- Brandon Eisert 60 ⅓ IP, 4.19 ERA,1.33 WHIP
- Miguel Castro 6 IP, 7.50 ERA, 1.67 WHIP
- Cam Booser 28 IP, 4.82 ERA, 1.46 WHIP
- [redacted] 5 ⅔ IP, 7.94 ERA, 2.29 WHIP
- Penn Murfee released
- Dan Altavilla 26 ⅔ IP, 2.36 ERA, 1.16 WHIP
- Jonathan Heasley released
- Mike Vasil 91 IP, 2.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP
Everyone
except Vasil and Castro (who was shut down for the season with a patellar tendon tear in June) has been optioned to the minors at least once this season. Vasil’s and Altavilla’s stats are the only anomaly from this putrid list, and Altavilla has been in Triple-A for the majority of his tenure with the organization.
Additionally, Jared Shuster, Gus Varland, and Nick Nastrini (who did not appear with the team in 2025 but pitched for it in 2024), have been cut from the team.
These grim stats help us arrive at a conclusion no one has ever doubted of late: Relievers have been the bane of Chicago’s franchise.
The bullpen has been atrocious in the last three years. Most Sox relievers have struggled to post a positive WAR, with very few even breaking 1.0. Vasil’s 2.4 WAR this year is the highest among Sox relievers in a single season since Liam Hendriks in 2021, but even that stat doesn’t say much. Is it possible the Sox found a hidden, sustainable gem, stolen away from the Rays? Potentially, but it’s hard to argue that Vasil’s rookie year indicates sustainable talent and not just a lucky, peak season.
Another wave of hopeful relievers will join the Sox during the offseason, but the bar should be set extremely low. Chicago’s scouting team will likely miscalculate talent and performance again this offseason, so expect another revolving door of relievers in 2026.
