Hector Santiago rejoins White Sox on minor-league deal
GLENDALE, Ariz. - When asked about having left-handed pitching on the roster, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn stated the obvious.
"There's no team in baseball that's going to turn their nose away from adding left-handed pitching depth," Hahn said. "We're certainly no exception."
On the first day of training camp Wednesday, Hahn added some familiar lefty depth, signing 30-year-old Hector Santiago to a minor-league contract.
Santiago, a starter and reliever with the Sox from 2011-13, could be in camp today.
"Obviously, he's had success, including an all-star season as a starter in the American League," Hahn said. "We saw first-hand how valuable he can potentially be in various roles, whether it's in the rotation or the bullpen. The versatility certainly had an appeal to us and as a player we drafted and helped develop, I think we have a special fondness for Hector.
"He's a tremendous, tremendous individual and a great fit in the clubhouse."
In 78 games (27 starts) for the White Sox, Santiago was 8-10 with a 3.41 ERA and 4 saves.
He was an all-star in 2015 while going 9-9 with a 3.59 ERA with the Angels.
Last season, Santiago was 4-8 with a 5.63 ERA for the Twins. A back issue limited the lefty to 15 games (14 starts).
"He felt he got it resolved around mid-September, but it was too late in the season for it to really show on the field," Hahn said. "He feels like everything's resolved and our doctors are fairly comfortable with the diagnosis and prognosis going forward."
No hard feelings:
Yolmer Sanchez won his salary arbitration hearing last week, getting a $2.35 million salary this year instead of the Sox's offer of $2.1 million.
On Wednesday, all-star right fielder Avisail Garcia won his case against the White Sox and will be paid $6.7 million instead of $5.85 million.
Reliever Keith Foulke was the last Sox player to go to salary arbitration, in 2001.
"We went 17 years without having a hearing and then somehow we wind up with two this year," GM Rick Hahn said. "The fact of the matter is the system is designed to promote settlement and we prefer to settle as opposed to winding up in a hearing room due to the uncertainty of where those verdicts will come out. For whatever reason this year we weren't able to, with either Yolmer or Avi's agent.
"That said, I've had conversations with both Avi and Yolmer and know it's going to have zero impact on their performance and even their relationship with us going forward. It's just part of the business."
New radio home:
The White Sox have a new multiyear agreement with WGN AM-720, which becomes the team's flagship radio station.
The Sox were on WLS AM-890, but parent company Cumulus Media filed for bankruptcy and broke the deal.
Waiting game:
Four players were not in camp Wednesday due to visa issues.
Pitchers Jose Ruiz, Bruce Rondon, Jose Rondon and catcher Alfredo Gonzalez are all in their native Venezuela. Ruiz is the lone player on the White Sox's 40-man roster.
"They are detained and won't be here on time," general manager Rick Hahn said. "Don't have an arrival date just yet."