The White Sox bullpen went through massive changes during the 2017 season with midseason trades decimating what was once a formidable group.
Now, the White Sox are trying to rebuild that bullpen with players the team is hoping can be revitalized on the South Side. Robbie Ross, a 28-year-old lefty, is the latest reclamation project to sign with the White Sox.
On Sunday the White Sox signed him to a minor league contract. He will join the team in spring training as a non-roster invitee. He was with the Boston Red Sox for the past three seasons, posting a pair of productive seasons in 2015 and 2016 before falling off a cliff last year. Ross pitched just nine innings with the Red Sox last year and gave up seven runs in the process, even though he did manage nine strikeouts.
In his first two years in Boston, Ross combined to strike out 109 in 116 innings with an ERA under four both years. Last year, two extended DL stints (elbow and back) and a demotion to Triple-A Pawtucket (where he only pitched six innings) limited his time.
Ross, who began his big league career with the Rangers, gives the team another lefty option for the bullpen. Luis Avilan, who the Sox traded for this offseason, is the only proven lefty reliever on the roster. Aaron Bummer and Jace Fry both got shots with the White Sox last year, but neither established themselves as MLB-ready.
