Ronald Belisario will throw pitches as part of the White Sox bullpen in 2014. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The White Sox added depth to their bullpen on Thursday, agreeing to terms with right-handed reliever Ronald Belisario on a one-year contract, per the Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales.
Belisario, 30, has been a mostly average innings-eater for the Los Angeles Dodgers the past two seasons. He was arbitration eligible before LA non-tendered him last week and he will reportedly earn $3 million from the White Sox, up from the $2.3 million he was projected to earn, per MLB Trade Rumors’ Tim Dierkes.
Belisaro has appeared in 145 games over the past two seasons. His numbers were particularly impressive in 2012 when he had an ERA+ of 150, but his K/BB ratio is worrisome. His primary pitch is a hard, moving sinker and he also features a slider he’ll throw at times when he’s ahead in the count.
(Exiled Editor James Note: The high groundball rate is notable, and makes him very similar to Matt Lindstrom into how he’ll fit in at U.S. Cellular Field)
In a week that has seemingly featured a big move or two every day, this one will hardly move the needle. But Belisaro is a welcome addition to a bullpen that relied far too heavily on Addison Reed, Nate Jones and Matt Lindstrom a year ago. If nothing else, he’ll add a pair of goggles and a goofy delivery to a bad team.