CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox reportedly are on the verge of adding to their bullpen by signing free-agent reliever Kendall Graveman.
The Sox and Graveman were close on a contract in the range of three years for $24 million, Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Audacy Sports tweeted Tuesday. Heyman wrote in a second tweet later that the sides agreed to a deal.
Graveman went 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 53 relief appearances for the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros in 2021. The right-hander was 4-0 with an 0.82 ERA, 34 strikeouts and 10 saves in 30 outings with the Mariners and 1-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 23 appearances with the Astros.
Graveman appeared in nine games in the 2021 postseason for the Astros, going 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 11 innings. That included the clinching Game 4 of an American League Division Series against the White Sox, in which Graveman hit José Abreu with a pitch in the eighth inning, drawing the ire of Tony La Russa. The Sox manager called the plunking “intentional” and said Graveman should have been ejected.
Graveman, who turns 31 on Dec. 21, has a 29-33 record with a 4.15 ERA and 362 strikeouts in 147 career games (80 starts) for the Toronto Blue Jays (2014), Oakland Athletics (’15-18), Mariners (’20-21) and Astros (’21). He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and spent 2019 recovering and rehabbing in the Cubs system.
With Ryan Tepera among the team’s free agents and Michael Kopech likely headed back to the rotation, the Sox have openings in the bullpen.
The Sox are also debating the best fit for Craig Kimbrel — either with the team or making a trade — after exercising a $16 million club option for 2022.
