White Sox release former All-Star pitcher

The White Sox have released right-handers Noah Syndergaard and Penn Murfee.  Syndergaard’s release was announced on Sunday, while Murfee’s MLB.com profile page indicates he was let go on Friday.

Syndergaard signed a minor league deal with Chicago in late June, which marked his first contract with any team since he was released by the Guardians in August 2023.  Despite some interest from teams during the 2023-24 offseason, Syndergaard ended up not pitching anywhere in 2024, so the Sox started him off with some rookie ball outings just to get acclimated back to game action before reporting to Triple-A Charlotte.  Syndergaard had a 2.93 ERA over his 15 1/3 frames of Rookie League work, but then was hit hard for a 10.13 ERA over two outings and eight innings at the Triple-A level.  The ugly numbers in Charlotte included only two strikeouts and a rather incredible five homers allowed.

While eight innings is obviously a small sample size, it was enough for the White Sox to decide to move on from Syndergaard, putting the former All-Star at yet another career crossroads.  Syndergaard turns 33 later this month, and it is fair to wonder if retirement could be a possibility.  Despite his past pedigree, the amount of time it took for him to land even a minor league contract could indicate that evaluators simply doubt he can ever regain any of his past effectiveness.

A frontline member of the Mets’ pitching staff during his prime years, Syndergaard has never really recovered from a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for virtually all of the 2020-21 season.  He pitched decently well in posting a 3.94 ERA over 134 2/3 innings for the Angels and Phillies in 2022, but rather than approach his old form or at least settle in at a mid-rotation arm, Syndergaard regressed in the form of a 6.50 ERA in 88 2/3 frames with the Dodgers and Guardians in 2023.

Murfee is another pitcher whose career was interrupted by a major arm injury.  After posting a 2.70 ERA for the Mariners in his first 83 1/3 career big league innings, he underwent UCL surgery in June 2023, and some elbow discomfort kept him from making his return late in the 2024 season as a member of the Astros.

The White Sox claimed Murfee off waivers from Houston last November, marking the fourth time in a 13-month period that the right-hander had changed teams on the waiver wire.  Murfee made his return to the Show in the form of 12 2/3 innings of 7.82 ball for the White Sox earlier this season.  Chicago outrighted the hurler to Triple-A in early May, and while Murfee had a respectable 4.09 ERA over 22 innings for Charlotte, he has recorded more walks (18) than strikeouts (16).