The White Sox, part 2
Believing they needed to beef up their bullpen or a deep post-season run, the White Sox acquired Craig Kimbrel from the Cubs for major leaguers Codi Heuer and Nick Madrigal.
The deal has turned out to hurt both teams.
On the South Side, Kimbrel immediately found himself on the losing end of a fight with Liam Hendriks for closer opportunities. Working mostly in uncomfortable eighth innings, he amassed a 5.09 ERA in 24 appearances. In the postseason loss to Houston, Kimbrel was limited to three ineffective appearances, none in critical spots.
This past April, the White Sox dumped his contract on the Dodgers, getting A.J. Pollock in return.
Not that the Cubs fared any better in the deal. Heuer pitched credibly to no good purpose in 2021, but has missed all of 2022 with an arm injury. Madrigal, sidelined by an injury for all of 2021, returned to inherit second base duties this year and has made the least of the opportunity. Injuries again have limited his chances, and he’s hitting just .222 with no power when he has played.
In the process, Madrigal has given surprise rookie Christopher Morel a chance to steal his position permanently.
Verdict: Nothing to see here, folks … just keep moving.