Chicago White Sox: 3 buy-low candidates to sign on a 1-year deal

Brandon Morrow

Brandon Morrow would be an interesting player to add to the Chicago White Sox.

In 2017 Brandon Morrow was one of the most dynamic relievers in baseball. He appeared in 45 games for the Dodgers and went 6-0 with a 2.06 ERA. Morrow averaged 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings which was his highest career total since 2010. In the playoffs, Dave Roberts leaned heavily on him.

He helped pitch the Dodgers into the World Series and appeared in all seven World Series games. In total, he threw 14 innings with a 3.95 ERA. His FIP was the second-lowest on the club behind Kenley Jansen’s 1.31 mark.

He proved his 2017 breakout performance was no fluke by following that up with a 1.47 ERA the next season. He threw 30.2 innings and struck out 31 while owning a 1.08 WHIP and 22 saves with the Chicago Cubs. He hasn’t pitched since then.

The former fifth overall pick has been hampered with injuries. He was shut down for the 2019 season after recovering from elbow surgery and kept experiencing setback after setback. He was released by the Cubs, then the Dodgers decided to resign him as a reclamation project. Morrow was uncertain about a comeback at first but couldn’t resist the urge to play baseball again.

The 12-year veteran was once again shut down for the season when his right arm didn’t respond to treatment well. He is now a minor league free agent. With a full offseason to recover, there is still a chance we can see Morrow back on a big-league diamond. He still has expressed interest in returning to baseball.

With the talent he has in his right arm he could definitely be worth adding on a minor-league deal. In the worst-case scenario, he never returns to health and the White Sox has to burn a small minor-league salary. On the flip side, if he can return to form, the White Sox could get a steal. They need bullpen help and a former first-round draft pick would be a shot in the arm if he can get healthy.