White Sox promote prospect to reshuffle bullpen after yet another blown lead

Heading into the season, I felt pretty good about the state of the White Sox bullpen. The White Sox invested resources in acquiring Seranthony Dominguez, Sean Newcomb, Jordan Hicks, Chris Murphy, and others to solidify an inconsistent unit from 2025. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been the strength that I, or the White Sox, envisioned in the early going. After another lead was squandered in the 8th inning of Tuesday’s game against the Orioles, the White Sox made a move to reshuffle their bullpen mix. 

No corresponding move has officially been announced, but my guess is that lefty Chris Murphy will be optioned to Charlotte. Murphy appeared in six games for the White Sox in the first two weeks, allowing seven earned runs and walking five, good for a 10.50 ERA. After notching the save in Sunday’s win against Toronto, Murphy was called on to keep the game tied in the eighth on Tuesday, but allowed a two-run homer to Gunnar Henderson that was ultimately the fatal blow to the White Sox. 

Tyler Schweitzer marks another homegrown reliever to debut in Chicago

Enter Tyler Schweitzer, who the White Sox selected in the fifth round back in 2022 out of Ball State. The 25 year-old Indiana native appeared exclusively as a starter during his first two minor league seasons before reaching Triple-A in 2025. Schweitzer got hammered to a 7.92 ERA in 50 innings with Charlotte before being sent back to Birmingham and working in the bullpen. He made 12 long relief appearances for the Barons and dominated to a 1.27 ERA to close out the season. Schweitzer was invited to big league camp and opened the season in the Knights bullpen, where he allowed one earned run in five innings prior to his call up. MLB Pipeline ranks Schweitzer as the 23rd best prospect in the White Sox farm system.

Schweitzer will head to Chicago in hopes of stabilizing the bullpen. The relief corps has been forced into the game early and often, and they’re seriously missing the presence of Mike Vasil, who racked up 100 innings in 2025 and became one of their more reliable options. Schweitzer’s ability to provide multiple innings from the left side should help take some pressure off Sean Newcomb and allow the White Sox to utilize Newcomb in higher leverage situations. 

Schweitzer brings a four-pitch mix, with his slider and changeup among his best offerings. He won’t overwhelm anyone with his fastball, which tends to sit 92-94, but he moves the ball around the zone well and induces soft contact. The key will be throwing strikes without leaving too many pitches over the heart of the plate. 

At this point, it’s unknown whether Schweitzer will pan out long term as a piece of the White Sox bullpen, but the early strain and struggles of the White Sox pensmen made a move necessary. Schweitzer has an excellent opportunity in front of him, so let’s hope he takes advantage of it!