The Chicago White Sox added another arm to the mix on Sunday, agreeing to a one-year deal with left-handed pitcher Tyler Alexander and placing Jared Shuster on the Injured List.
The White Sox also transferred lefty Fraser Ellard to the 60-day IL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Shuster, acquired from Atlanta in the trade that sent Aaron Bummer to the Braves last offseason, has had an abysmal start to the 2025 season, with an 8.04 ERA in 12 appearances. He will get a much-needed break as he looks to figure out a way to be more effective. Meanwhile, the White Sox get a better left-handed option in the bullpen.
As we saw on Sunday afternoon, I expect Alexander's impact to be both immediate and underrated.
Tyler Alexander's immediate impact
Alexander, 30, was originally drafted in the second round by the Detroit Tigers in 2015 before making his big league debut in 2019 with Detroit.
He spent his first five MLB seasons with the Tigers before being placed on waivers and claimed by the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2024 season. Alexander signed with the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent prior to the 2025 season and struggled to a 6.19 ERA in 36.1 innings before being released earlier this month.
Alexander took an Uber from Milwaukee to Chicago on Sunday morning, signed a contract with the White Sox, and was pitching in a game by the fourth inning. He made his White Sox debut against the Kansas City Royals, giving up five (5) hits and a walk, and allowing one earned run in three (3) innings.
Kudos to Tyler Alexander's Uber driver. He signed with the White Sox at noon, and then took a 90-minute Uber from Milwaukee to the ballpark. Was pitching by the 4th inning.
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) June 8, 2025
Talent-wise, nothing jumps off the page with Alexander. His fastball averages around 90 MPH, so location is the key to his success. His walk rate is low and he throws 5 different pitches, allowing him to change speeds effectively.
Alexander has experience as both a starter and reliever, and it’s unclear what his long-term role will be on the White Sox staff. His best season came in 2021 with the Tigers, where he pitched to a 3.81 ERA in 41 appearances, including 15 starts.
White Sox have another multi-inning option
Although not a big-name addition, Alexander will bring crucial innings to a young White Sox pitching staff as they look to make up for injuries to several starting pitchers.
Alexander can eat innings as both a starter or a multi-inning reliever. While Sox fans should not expect an All-Star level of dominance. This is not another Adrian Houser that is going to come in and blow the expectations out of the water. But outperforming Jared Shuster’s terrible start to the season should not be a difficult task.
I think the underrated impact that Alexander will have is that he gives the White Sox the ability to move on from some struggling pitchers. Shuster is already off the active roster and on the Injured List. Bryse Wilson has also been struggling mightily with a 8.41 ERA and a WHIP over 2.00 in 35.1 inning since April 17th.
Pitchers like that don't belong on a big league roster. Even with Jonathan Cannon temporarily injured, having Tyler Alexander, Owen White, and Mike Vasil gives the Sox plenty of multi-inning options in the bullpen and the ability to move on from Wilson. Chicago should have no problem finding a way to fill innings.