Swapping international signing bonus pool money for a minor league reliever might not sound like that big a deal.
But the pitching prospect the White Sox acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees on Sunday is putting up some monster numbers in the minor leagues and through his performance can't help but jumpstart speculation over whether the team just added a piece of its bullpen of the future.
Caleb Frare is a 25-year-old lefty who was drafted in the 11th round way back in 2012. But he's been crazy good in 2018, posting a pencil-thin 0.62 ERA in 31 appearances with Double-A Trenton before getting promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a few days ago. He gave up a run — just the fourth earned run he's allowed all season — in his lone appearance with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
And how about this ringing endorsement:
Frare is now part of a Triple-A Charlotte bullpen that has some intriguing names when it comes to trying to project the White Sox relief corps of the future.
Ian Hamilton has a 1.77 ERA between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte this season. He saved 12 games with the Barons and already has four saves with the Knights since his promotion in the middle of June. Since moving up a level, Hamilton's got a 1.76 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 15.1 innings.
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Zack Burdi is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched in a minor league game this season. But he's a guy, a former first-round pick, who's long been looked at as a potential closer of the future. He had a 4.05 ERA in 29 appearances at Charlotte last season.
Carson Fulmer, another first-round pick, was recently moved from the Charlotte rotation to the bullpen. He's got a 4.00 ERA with 10 strikeouts and eight walks in nine relief innings since the move.
Since the White Sox traded closer Joakim Soria to the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this week, there's an opportunity for young pitchers to try to impress the big league staff in high-leverage situations over the season's final few months. A month or more of success in the bullpen one season doesn't always predict future success. Juan Minaya and Gregory Infante impressed in a similar situation last season after the team dealt away so many of its relievers, though they've struggled to find success in 2018.
Still, with the change in the bullpen — and if there's any more change out there at the upcoming trade deadline — there might be some additions to that unit from the minor leagues who could take their next step toward being part of this team's long-term future.