The White Sox announced the signing of free agent right-handed starter Erick Fedde, who will return to the majors after a successful season in South Korea.
The deal, for $15 million over two seasons, was reported last week and was made official Wednesday after Fedde, 30, passed his physical. Right-hander Yohan Ramírez was designated for assignment, keeping the 40-man roster at 40.
Before going 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA for the NC Dinos in the Korean Baseball Organization and earning the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2023, Fedde struggled with a 5.71 ERA in 27 starts and 127 innings for the Nationals in 2022. In six seasons with the Nats, mostly as a starter, Fedde owned a 5.41 ERA.
Rebuilding after a 61-101 season, the Sox are known to be considering trade offers for ace Dylan Cease. Without Cease, Fedde could be the team’s highest-paid starter, although the Sox may be looking to bolster the rotation with another signing or trade.
“He more or less dominated over in the KBO,” general manager Chris Getz said last week. “There’s been success stories here recently, the Merrill Kellys of the world. We talked to hitters over there, we talked to people that are around that league, and we felt he was the most feared pitcher in that league. And the numbers show it.”
Fedde struck out 209 batters and walked 35 in 180 1⁄3 innings in Korea while producing a 70% ground ball rate. He led the KBO in wins, ERA and strikeouts to become the first foreign-born pitcher to win the pitching Triple Crown, and just the fourth pitcher in league history to accomplish that feat.
“It was a tremendous runway for him to make adjustments and then go to a league where it’s a bit of a major league environment, from a fans and pressure standpoint, and certainly being a foreigner, it’s never easy,” Getz said. “So he’s got a lot of confidence. We see a difference in his stuff.”
The Korean League is generall comparable to the minor leagues in the U.S., so how Fedde’s changes in pitch arsenal and arm angle translate next season bears watching.
“When you look at a projection system, and we’ve got the ability to get a better understanding of, ‘Is it going to translate? Should it translate?’ There was enough support there that we thought we should go and get Erick Fedde,” Getz said.
“We have to continue to address the pitching,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Last year we broke spring training with six starters, only one for depth. This year will those kids going to Triple-A and finishing up at Triple-A with the those trades, we’re looking at 11, 12, maybe 14 starters deep that have the capabilities of pitching in the big leagues as a starter if we need it. So as far as the depth is concerned for starting pitching, I’m really happy. And we’re not done by any means.
“Everybody’s trying, man. It’s the nature of the best. Everybody needs pitching and there’s only a handful out there. Everybody’s competing for the same thing.”