The White Sox appear to have turned a corner. After starting the season with a 7-23 record, they have been playing substantially better baseball of late. On the last homestand, they split a four-game series with the Detroit Tigers and took two of three from the Kansas City Royals.
It isn’t a coincidence that the team is playing better recently. The roster now has several intriguing young players, including Chase Meidroth, Edgar Quero, and Kyle Teel. They have injected energy and excitement into the ballclub. Grant Taylor is the newest top prospect coming to the big leagues. And for as intriguing as he is, the White Sox have improved significantly simply by making space for him on the roster. Right-handed pitcher Bryse Wilson was designated for assignment as the corresponding move for Taylor’s arrival, per an announcement this afternoon.
Wilson’s Disappointing White Sox Tenure
Wilson, 27, signed a one-year, $1.05 million contract with the White Sox this past offseason after spending the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. A swingman type of pitcher, the hope was that Wilson could effectively eat innings on a White Sox pitching staff that entered the season with many more questions than answers. And to Wilson’s credit, he did take the ball whenever the team asked. He appeared in 19 games, five of which were starts, covering 45.1 innings total. He pitched in whatever role asked of him, often taking one for the team to preserve the other pitchers in the bullpen.
Unfortunately, the quality of Wilson’s innings were rough. All told, he pitched to a 6.95 ERA, 6.42 FIP, and 1.90 WHIP, accumulating -0.9 bWAR in the process. The underlying metrics weren’t any better. Wilson ranked as one of the absolute worst pitchers in MLB in categories like pitching run value, fastball run value, K %, and whiff %, per Baseball Savant. Opposing batters slashed .345/.406/.588 against Wilson this season. He was the clear weak link in the White Sox bullpen. Given that he was on a one-year deal for an inconsequential amount of money, the team had seen enough and finally decided to cut ties. Removing Wilson from the roster is addition by subtraction.
Immediate Upgrade In White Sox Bullpen
Replacing Wilson with Taylor is a massive upgrade on paper for the White Sox. Even with his inexperience, Taylor dominated in the minors and proved in spring training that his stuff plays against MLB hitters. Some growing pains are expected. However, it is not a stretch to say that Taylor will likely perform better than Wilson did.
Final Word
It feels like a new era of White Sox baseball has arrived. Much of the fat on the roster earlier in the season is gone, with exciting prospects taking their place. A new core is slowly taking shape, with the organization embracing a youth movement as the team looks to the future. Better days are coming on the South Side.
