Erick

Fedde

Cannon made 17 starts and pitched 103 2/3 innings for the White Sox last season and came into spring training battling for a spot in the rotation. He didn’t pitch poorly, posting a 4.09 ERA and 10/5 K/BB ratio in 11 innings, but it wasn’t good enough to beat out Anthony Kay and Erick Fedde, who both joined the team this winter.

White Sox manager Will Venable confirmed to reporters that Newcomb will operate in relief to open the season after battling for a spot in Chicago’s rotation during camp. The decision makes it a near-lock that both Anthony Kay and Erick Fedde will make the Opening Day rotation. There’s zero fantasy intrigue here but it’s worth noting that the White Sox are going to give a few veterans some run before they consider promoting a top prospect like Hagen Smith or Noah Schultz.

Fedde struck out three batters in the ballgame and didn’t issue a free pass. He piggybacked Sean Burke in this one, entering in the fourth inning. He allowed just a one-out double to Angel Martinez in the fifth and a bloop single to Austin Hedges in the sixth, but was never in any real danger. Fedde got four swings and misses on his 35 pitches, posting a miserable CSW of just 14 percent. It’s possible that a return to the White Sox returns Fedde to fantasy relevance, and he can be had for pennies on the dollar at the end of fantasy drafts if you’re interested in taking that gamble.

Fedde looked quite comfortable being back in a White Sox uniform. He threw 19 of his 29 pitches for strikes in the contest, generating three whiffs and posting a strong CSW of 34 percent. The velocity on his sinker was up a bit from his 2025 mark, averaging 93.7 mph (+0.5 mph). He wound up being a useful option for fantasy purposes the last time that we saw him on the south side, so he makes for an intriguing late-round flier entering the 2026 campaign.

It was thought Fedde might give Korea another try after a rough 2025, but he’s instead returning to the White Sox team that originally brought him back to the U.S. in 2024. Fedde had a 5.49 ERA and an 83/67 K/BB in 141 innings for the Cardinals, Braves and Brewers last season. Assuming that Shane Smith, Anthony Kay and Davis Martin are safe, the White Sox could have Sean Newcomb, Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon and Fedde battle for two spots in the rotation.

Fedde joined the White Sox in 2024 after spending the 2023 season overseas and registered a stellar 3.11 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 108/34 K/BB ratio over 121 2/3 innings in 21 starts before he was traded to the Cardinals in a deadline deal. Fedde bounced around and was unable to replicate that success in 2025, so perhaps a return to the White Sox will be what he needs to get back on track. It’s yet another solid move in what has been a surprisingly strong offseason for the White Sox.

The Brewers ourighted Fedde to Triple-A at the end of September, so now the 32-year-old will head to the open market in the off-season. Fedde was inffective as a starter in 2025, posting a 8.10 ERA in 23 1/3 innings with the Braves and a 5.22 ERA in 101 2/3 innings with the Cardinals. However, he did end the season with a 3.38 ERA in 16 innings out of the bullpen for the Brewers, so perhaps that’s the path forward for him in 2026.

The outright assignment paves the way for Fedde to potentially return to Milwaukee at some point in the postseason, if needed, as emergency relief depth. The 32-year-old veteran registered a surprising 3.38 ERA across 16 innings of work over seven relief appearances after signing with Milwaukee in late August.

The decision to jettison Fedde comes as a bit of a surprise since the 32-year-old veteran was thought to be in the mix for a postseason roster spot after compiling a solid 3.38 ERA across 16 innings of work over seven relief appearances since arriving in Milwaukee back in late August. He figures to pass through waivers unclaimed and could still wind up appearing in the postseason if he accepts an outright assignment.

Fedde was thrown directly into the fire by his new club after being acquired today and asked to fill in for Quinn Priester, who was scratched. He followed Aaron Ashby – who was nasty in two innings of work – and pitched well enough to keep his team in the game. He threw his changeup less often than in any other start this year and while we shouldn’t expect it, no one would be surprised if the Brewers could coax a somewhat effective stint out of Fedde here.