Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
It appears one White Sox player’s tenure with the team is already over. Jeff Keppinger signed a three-year, $12 million deal during the 2012-13 offseason, but he will not get to see the end of the deal with the White Sox. According to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago White Sox have requested unconditional release waivers for infielder Jeff Keppinger.
On May 14, Keppinger was designated for assignment after being activated from a rehab assignment. Keppinger has not played in the majors this season, as he has been rehabbing from a shoulder operation that he had last September. Keppinger, 34, was no longer a fit for the White Sox, as the team was stacked with young infielders, all with bright futures. This future consists of Conor Gillaspie, Gordon Beckham, Marcus Semien and Leury Garcia and Matt Davidson.
Keppinger hit four home runs and drove in forty runs over 117 games last season, before his season was cut short when doctors wanted to perform shoulder surgery. Chicago had expected him to be ready by the beginning of the season, but he had experienced constant pain in his shoulder while throwing. This led the White Sox to placing him on the 15-day disabled list before the start of the season.
Jeff Keppinger was on a rehab assignment with the White Sox Double-A affiliate in Birmingham. In Birmingham, he hit .256 in eleven games, before he was notified of the move that he was designated for assignment. Keppinger is a career .282 hitter, as it seems that once he is officially released, that he will draw interest from many teams.