This time the Chicago White Sox are the team getting a big-league pitcher back from the Boston Red Sox.
The White Sox are acquiring reliever Cam Booser in a trade with the Red Sox.
The Chicago White Sox are acquiring reliever Cam Booser in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, according to sources familiar with the deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 21, 2024
The White Sox are sending back a minor league pitcher, although the specific player is unknown at this time.
Red Sox expected to get minor league pitcher for Booser.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 21, 2024
This deal comes ten days after these two clubs completed a blockbuster trade that saw the White Sox send ace pitcher Garrett Crochet to Boston in exchange for some of the Red Sox's top prospects.
This deal is not exactly going to grab headlines like the Crochet trade but Booser should help upgrade the White Sox bullpen.
He posted a 3.38 ERA in 43 appearances in his first season pitching in the majors. The left-handed reliever traveled a long road just to make it to the show.
Booser had to overcome Tommy John surgery, labrum surgery, and a broken back. He was also suspended for 50 games for testing positive for marijuana and attitude problems. The Twins even tried moving him to the outfield when he was in Minnesota's system.
It got so bad for Booser that he eventually retired in 2017.
He ended up working in construction and tutoring younger players. All that work ended up building up his arm to where he could throw nearly 100mph on the radar gun.
Booser returned to baseball and ended up signing with the independent Chicago Dogs in 2021. He later signed a minor-league deal with Arizona in 2022 and then with Boston in 2023.
He finally made his big-league debut on April 19th, a few weeks before he turned 32. He went on to become a solid mid-leverage reliever. He did struggle in high-leverage situations, but for a White Sox bullpen that blew a lot of leads on the way toward losing a record 121 games, this is an upgrade.
New #WhiteSox reliever Cam Booser spent five years in the Minnesota system and quit baseball to become a carpenter. Returned in 2022 and he was very solid in majors last year. Lefty with five years of control at age 32.
— James Fox (@JamesFox917) December 21, 2024
The White Sox had to add some better bullpen arms if the Southsiders wanted to avoid flirting with 121 losses or more in 2025.
Booser throws a four-seam fastball, cutter, and sweeper. Hitters batted .196 off of his sweeper, and .244 off of his four-seamer. The cutter is his weakest pitch with hitters having a .325 average off of that pitch in 2024.
He had 43 strikeouts and 16 walks in 42.2 innings.
This is another prudent move made by general manager Chris Getz and he likely used assistant GM Josh Barfield's ties to the Arizona Diamondbacks when Barfield was running the player development there when Booser signed that minor league deal.
It sure beats signing a bunch of former Kansas City Royals like Getz did in bulk last offseason.