Jacob Amaya’s White Sox career is over, for now. The team designated him for assignment this morning as part of four roster moves in advance of today’s game against the Cubs. Left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster was also optioned to Triple-A Charlotte as part of this roster shuffling. Recent additions in the form of right-handed pitcher Miguel Castro and infielder Vinny Capra have been added to the 26-man roster as corresponding moves.
Amaya’s Struggles
Amaya, 26, had been one of the team’s primary shortstops up to this point. He appeared in 34 games with the White Sox this season and generally provided stability with the glove, but struggled mightily with the bat. He had only six hits in 68 plate appearances on the season, hitting just .097 with a .232 OPS and a -1.0 bWAR. The addition of Chase Meidroth slowly phased Amaya out from a playing time standpoint, as he only had seven plate appearances in the last week and a half. Amaya could clear waivers and remain in the organization, but is in limbo for now. The White Sox are now at risk of losing him, but evidently were fine with that possibility.
As a result of these roster moves, Capra has essentially taken Amaya’s spot on the team. It is an interesting decision considering Capra has struggled just as much as Amaya with the bat and is over two years older. Capra provides more defensive versatility however, which could play a role in their thought process. Amaya has played shortstop exclusively in the big leagues, while Capra has experience playing all over the diamond.
“[Capra] could play shortstop. Like the bat, so can be somebody we’ll get in there and mix him around different spots in the infield,” manager Will Venable said. “We’ll throw him in the mix. Really like defensively, gives us an opportunity to move Chase around, to give Chase [Meidroth] days. And to support the middle infield.”
Swapping Bullpen Arms
The team also swapped out bullpen arms as part of these transactions. Shuster, 26, struggled mightily in a short sample with the White Sox this season, pitching to a 7.59 ERA and 1.88 WHIP in 10.2 innings. With fellow left-handers Brandon Eisert and Tyler Gilbert already in the bullpen, Shuster became the odd man out and will head back to Triple-A in favor of the much more experienced Castro. The team acquired the 30-year-old right-hander in a trade with the Houston Astros just yesterday. He will immediately join the team and provide an experienced arm at the back end of the White Sox bullpen.
White Sox Rounding Into Form
With Mike Tauchman, Andrew Benintendi, Austin Slater, and Korey Lee all on the mend and starting to play rehab games in the minors, several more roster moves will likely occur in the coming days. The White Sox have been playing better baseball lately, and the roster is slowly shaping into a more competitive ballclub that Chris Getz and the rest of the front office envisioned.
