Top Chicago White Sox prospects before they decided to rebuild

Addison Reed 2011 #1 prospect

Back in 2011, the White Sox had their previous year’s 95th pick atop the MLB Top Prospects list. Selected in the third round was right-handed pitcher Addison Reed. He came into the league with a three-pitch mix of a fastball, slider, and changeup. His slider and changeup were both graded average, but his fastball that touched the mid-90s made him valuable.

Reed was a starter at San Diego State University, teammates with Stephen Strasburg, but after shooting his way up the White Sox system, the team found his arm was better suited for the bullpen. The 21-year-old (at the time) had a fantastic 2011 season in the Minor Leagues. In 78 innings, he allowed only 3 home runs and 14 walks, while striking out 111 on a 1.26 ERA. His lights out .157 opponent batting average and 0.73 WHIP made him something the White Sox felt lucky to have. He later made his debut in 2011. Despite only pitching seven innings, he did strike out 12 batters.

Reed’s career in Chicago would only last another two years. His last year, 2013, saw him spending time as the team’s full-time closer. In 71 innings, he recorded 40 saves but his K per 9 innings went down as he only recorded 72 strikeouts. Reed was starting to lose command of the fastball that once made him a top prospect.

That December, Reed was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for infield prospect Matt Davidson. He has not recorded more than the 32 saves he recorded in Arizona in 2014. After Arizona, he spent three years as a Met then a year in Boston and Minnesota. He did not play in ‘19 or ‘20 and is currently still a free agent.