White Sox waiver claim shakes up bullpen mix after nightmare Opening Day effort

Less than 24 hours after an embarrassing 14-2 loss at the hands of the Brewers, the White Sox have made a move toward shaking up their bullpen mix. The team has claimed left-hander Bryan Hudson on waivers from the New York Mets, with a corresponding move to be announced before Saturday’s game. 

Even though it’s only been one game, Chris Getz evidently saw all he needed to see to make a change. The White Sox bullpen allowed 10 earned runs over 6.1 innings in Thursday’s season opener, including eight walks and two homers. Of the five White Sox relievers who entered the game, only Jordan Leasure put together a scoreless outing, with the other four allowed at least two earned runs each. Chris Murphy, Grant Taylor, and Seranthony Dominguez didn’t make it into the game, but the remaining members of the bullpen have to be disappointed with their first showing. 

Enter Bryan Hudson. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he was on the White Sox roster for the end of 2024. The White Sox claimed Hudson from Milwaukee in August and the left-hander made four appearances for the big league club, allowing three earned runs over 4.1 innings. The White Sox designated Hudson for assignment back on February 4th and traded him to the Mets six days later for cash. After competing for a spot in the Mets bullpen, Hudson was designated for assignment when the Mets set their Opening Day roster. 

White Sox will hope to unlock Hudson's 2024 success in their bullpen

It wasn’t a particularly strong spring for Hudson, who allowed six earned runs in 3.1 innings in the Grapefruit League, but the lefty was a productive big league reliever as recently as 2024. In 43 appearances with Milwaukee, Hudson posted a miniscule 1.73 ERA with 62 strikeouts. With an average fastball velocity around 91, he’s not going to overwhelm anyone with his stuff, but instead thrives on locating well to induce soft contact. His control took a dive in 2025 and his walk rate jumped by 10%. Consistently throwing strikes will be the key to getting Hudson back on track, and he’ll get a chance to do it at the big league level with the White Sox. 

As far as the corresponding move goes, my guess is Tyler Gilbert will be heading to Charlotte. Gilbert allowed two earned runs in his debut inning in the opener, and is currently the low-leverage lefty with an option. It seems like his role is the one Hudson would fill most naturally. 

It’s still very early in the season and the White Sox can expect a lot more shuffling of the bullpen as the season progresses. Let's hope the bullpen can settle down and become the strength that Chris Getz and Will Venable envisioned for the season.