Dec. 11--SAN DIEGO -- The Chicago White Sox added additional bullpen help Thursday when they acquired left-handed reliever Dan Jennings from the Miami Marlins in exchange for right-hander Andre Rienzo.
Jennings, 27, was 0-2 with a 1.34 ERA 38 strikeouts and three holds over 47 relief appearances with the Marlins in 2014.
He is the third major bullpen piece the Sox have added this offseason following the free-agent signings of left-hander Zach Duke and closer David Robertson.
"With Duke helping solidify late game, we have a guy in Jennings who can slide in ahead of Duke and provide Robin (Ventura) with more options to balance out the pen," Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "We're happy to have him. (Pitching coach Don Cooper) has spent some time looking at him, and he agrees with what we all see, which is a lefty with two-plus pitches and some continued upside."
Thirty-eight of Jennings' 47 appearances in 2014 were scoreless and he surrendered three home runs, including just one over his final 40 outings. He went on a stretch of 19 consecutive appearances in which he didn't allow an earned run from April to July, and followed with another stretch of 13 straight games without giving up an earned run.
Over 100 innings pitched with the Marlins from 2012-14, he has a 3-6 record and 2.43 ERA with 84 strikeouts, six holds and six homers allowed.
Hahn called Jennings a mild project for Cooper.
"He's had some trouble with lefties from time to time," Hahn said. "He's actually been more effective against right-handed hitters, but given the stuff, that really shouldn't be the case. He's a quality big league arm, but we think there is still some upside there."
