Chicago White Sox sign Kelvin Herrera to two year contract
Congratulations to the White Sox fans who recognized that they had to endure a tough 2018 to get some of the best MLB free agents signings for 2019 and beyond.
The Chicago White Sox latest MLB free agent signing is Kelvin Herrera, who will join the team for at least two years.
The announcement came via Jeff Passan of ESPN, who shared the information via Twitter:
Reliever Kelvin Herrera and the Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $18 million deal with a vesting third-year option, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 7, 2019
In 2018, the White Sox bullpen started out strong, with players like Joakim Soria, Xavier Cedeno, and Nate Jones. But, after injuries and trades, the pen was decimated and the closing role was by committee, which did not work well for the Sox.
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After signing Herrera, the bullpen is looking mighty fine. Alex Colome who saved 47 games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017 will take on the role of closer. And, Herrera who himself closed 26 games for the Kansas City Royals in 2017 will most likely be the set up man for Colome.
In an interesting piece of trivia, the new White Sox relievers share a birthday. On December 31, Colome turned 30 years old and Herrera turned 29.
To make matters even better, Nate Jones is also expected to be in the pen in 2019. After only 30 innings in 2018 and 11 in 2017, Jones will most likely take on the seventh inning role. All three are right-handed pitchers, so they should be used regularly.
Other than his half season with the Nationals in 2018, Herrera has pitched solely for the Kansas City Royals. They signed him in 2006. He struggled a bit in 2017 and finished the season with a 4.25 ERA. He also earned an ERA of 4.34 with the Nats. Otherwise, Herrera has been consistent on the mound with ERAs ranging between 3.86 and 1.41. In 2014, he even had an ERA+ of 280, with his career ERA+ sitting at 150.
He’s two-time All-Star, and he was outstanding in the both of the Royals post-season performances in 2014 and 2015. In fact, in both ALCS series, he did not give up any runs in 11.1 innings. He did the same in the three innings of the World Series, too.
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He’s definitely the guy you want on the mound in the playoffs. And, it is certain that the Chicago White Sox expect him to help them get there. His eight seasons in the AL Central will be beneficial to the team and his veteran presence will provide leadership to the young pitchers in the organization.