According to ESPN‘s Jeff Passan, the Chicago White Sox and free-agent reliever Steve Cishek have come to terms on a one-year, $6MM contract. The deal includes an option for 2021 worth an additional $6MM.
Cishek, who will be 34 in June, made 70 appearances for the crosstown Cubs in 2019, posting a 2.95 ERA/4.54 FIP and collecting 7 saves and 11 holds. The sidearmer’s peripherals were a moderate step down from his performance the prior year, when he managed a 2.18 ERA/3.44 FIP in 80 games while averaging two more strikeouts and half a walk less per nine innings.
Even coming off a less exciting campaign, Cishek has still stranded 80% or more runners every year since 2016, and righties have hit just .173/.245/.268 against him in that time. He checked in at the 99th percentile in opponent exit velocity and hard-hit rate, per Baseball Savant.
His slider registered 24.4 runs above average from 2016-18 (the eighth-best mark among relievers), though he struggled to establish it this past year (just 0.6 runs above average, only 0.2 inches vertical and horizontal movement). Much of his success this coming season is going to depend on whether or not he can recover a feel for his best breaking pitch, though a less demanding workload in a stronger White Sox bullpen presents a solid opportunity for the veteran to contribute.
Chicago’s bullpen already features the likes of Alex Colome and Kelvin Herrera alongside more promising developments in Jace Fry, Aaron Bummer, and Evan Marshall. They will certainly benefit from an experienced, unique arm in Cishek, who marks their sixth major acquisition of the offseason alongside Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, Nomar Mazara, Gio Gonzalez, and Edwin Encarnacion.
Though the Mets had not been directly cited as a team pursuing Cishek, one could certainly argue his makeup would’ve complemented the signing of flamethrower Dellin Betances fairly well. Nonetheless, there several relievers with similar upside still remain, including (but not limited to) Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon, Ryan Buchter, Collin McHugh, Brandon Kintzler, and Francisco Liriano.
