The Chicago White Sox aren't playing postseason baseball, but they announced a pair of roster moves just as Tuesday's wild-card matchups got underway. The Sox claimed pitcher Alex Speas off waivers from the Texas Rangers and released outfielder Tyler Naquin.
Speas is a hard-throwing righty who has primarily relied on a cutter in his limited MLB action. The 25-year-old tossed just two innings across three games for the Rangers in 2023. Speas struggled with command, allowing three runs on two hits and five walks with four strikeouts.
At the minor-league level, the Georgia native posted a 2.86 ERA and 1.271 WHIP across 56.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. For his minors career, he owns a 4.20 ERA and 1.497 WHIP with an intriguing 13.9 K/9 in 143.2 innings.
To make room for Speas on the roster, the White Sox moved on from Naquin. The 32-year-old joined the Sox organization midseason in a minor-league trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. He spent most of his 2023 season at the Triple-A level and appeared in five games for the White Sox at the tail end of the year.
Chicago's 40-man roster remains at 40 after these moves. If the club is to improve on a massively disappointing 2023 season, new general manager Chris Getz will have to do some major roster maneuvering throughout the offseason.
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