Chicago White Sox Claim Pitcher Ryan Rolison Off Waivers

Rolison, 28, is a 6-foot-2, 213-pound left-handed pitcher who was the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies out of Ole Miss. He pitched in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut with the Rockies in 2025.

During the 2025 season, Rolison made 31 relief appearances and one start for Colorado, recording a 7.02 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 20 walks in 42.1 innings. He moved between MLB and Triple-A Albuquerque, where he had a 3.34 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP with 32 strikeouts and nine walks in 29.2 innings.

While it didn't lead to great run-prevention results, Rolison ranked above MLB average in average exit velocity allowed (87.5 mph), hard-hit rate (38.5%), ground ball rate (48.6%) and extension.

The Rockies traded Rolison on Nov. 19 to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations, and on Thursday the Braves designated him for assignment. The former first-round pick was the Rockies' No. 2 prospect for two years and among their top six prospects from 2019-22, according to MLB.com.

He began his minor league career as a starter, logging 131 innings with a 4.40 ERA during the 2019 season. But much of the rest of his career was affected by shoulder injuries, a broken hand and appendicitis, which held him below 75 innings each season from 2020-23.

Rolison then moved the bullpen in 2024, when he recorded a 4.47 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP with 35 strikeouts and 15 walks across 46.1 innings at three minor league levels.

As a former highly-regarded prospect who didn't pan out in his first major league stint and was affected by injuries, Rolison's path to the White Sox is somwhat similar to recent acquisitions like Anthony Kay, Everson Pereira, Curtis Mead and Miguel Vargas under general manager Chris Getz.

Rolison will now look to revive his career with the White Sox. His pitch mix during the 2025 season with the Rockies included a fastball that averaged 92.9 mph and was thrown 46.6% of the time, along with a curveball (79.5 mph, 33.4%), a slider (85.5 mph, 16.6%) and a changeup (87.3 mph, 3.4%), according to FanGraphs.