"His 2024 workload consisted of just 6 2/3 innings in the minors due to shoulder problems, and after the Guardians outrighted him and allowed Karinchak to enter free agency last winter, he landed with the White Sox on a minor league deal. Karinchak posted a 2.45 ERA and a 28.1% strikeout rate over 29 1/3 innings for Triple-A Charlotte before he was released in June."
"Those seemingly strong numbers in Triple-A were undermined by a 16.5% walk rate, which is essentially the story of Karinchak's career. He owns an eye-popping 36.3% career strikeout rate over his MLB career, and he also posted a 3.10 ERA over 165 2/3 innings with Cleveland from 2019-23. However, a 14.1% walk rate and some problems with the home run ball limited Karinchak's effectiveness, plus injuries like his shoulder woes or a teres major strain in 2022 provided further obstacles."
"Still, Karinchak's strikeout potential is so tantalizing that it isn't at all surprising to see teams like the White Sox or Braves take minor league fliers on the righty to see if he can get things on track, or perhaps Atlanta's coaches think they might have a fix. Karinchak is still only 30 years old and he has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining, so there's hidden-gem potential for the Braves if Karinchak can manage even average control."
James Karinchak signed a minor-league contract with the Atlanta Braves and would earn $840,000 if he reaches the major-league roster. He has not pitched in the majors for more than two years and logged only 6 2/3 minor-league innings in 2024 because of shoulder problems. Guardians outrighted him last winter and he joined the White Sox on a minor-league deal, posting a 2.45 ERA and 28.1% strikeout rate over 29 1/3 Triple-A innings before a June release. Career numbers show elite strikeout ability (36.3% K rate) offset by poor control (14.1% walk rate), home run susceptibility, and injury history. At age 30 with two arbitration years remaining, he offers upside if control improves.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]