Left-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison changes sides in Chicago after being designated for assignment by the White Sox and claimed by the Cubs.
Left-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison has continued to play musical chairs this offseason, bouncing from organization to organization as teams juggle roster flexibility.
His latest move keeps him in Chicago — just not on the South Side.
After being designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox, Rolison was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
Rolison was originally traded to the Atlanta Braves by the Colorado Rockies earlier this offseason. The Braves then designated him for assignment in December, and the White Sox quickly jumped at the opportunity to add him to their 40-man roster.
At the time, Rolison provided left-handed depth in the bullpen. With the assumption that manager Will Venable would carry three lefties on the 26-man roster to open the season, the former first-round pick out of Ole Miss had a path to grow with a young White Sox club and fight for a roster spot during Spring Training.
But when Chicago struck a free agent deal with Sean Newcomb — arguably one of the top left-handed relievers remaining on the market — the roster math changed.
The White Sox were forced to make a tough decision to clear a spot on the 40-man, and Rolison was designated for assignment.
That’s the delicate balance of managing a roster over the course of a full offseason.
While the Sox were hoping to sneak him through waivers and stash Rolison in the minor leagues, due to an extended waiver window due to the holidays, Rolison ultimately landed with the Cubs.
It’s not a consequential loss for the White Sox. Rolison posted a 7.02 ERA during his debut season with the Rockies, and he was always an unlikely candidate to break camp with the club given Chicago’s existing options. Brandon Eisert, Tyler Gilbert, and Bryan Hudson have all demonstrated success at the big-league level, and Newcomb only made that group more crowded.
Still, Rolison has showed flashes in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League and would have been solid depth to have in the minors. You can never have too many multi-inning relief arms — especially lefties.
But holding onto that type of depth requires a 40-man roster spot, and those spots come at a premium.
Chicago’s inability to keep Rolison is a byproduct of something larger. The White Sox have been active in free agency and aggressive about improving the roster this winter while hunting upside.
That’s a good problem to have and not something I'll ever complain about.