White Sox hope new reliever Seranthony Dominguez will 'stabilize' bullpen late in games
Time will decide whether the White Sox’ decision to add late-inning reliever Seranthony Dominguez instead of a veteran outfielder will prove to be the right move.
General manager Chris Getz has yet to add an established veteran outfielder because he wants to provide runway to players such as Everson Pereira and Luisangel Acunua. But with the Mets taking on the remaining $20 million of Luis Robert Jr.'s contract, Getz decided to use the financial flexibility to address the bullpen.
Having pitched in two World Series, Dominguez lives for the pressure-packed, high-intensity moments. He brings steadiness to a young Sox bullpen. Manager Will Venable wouldn’t go as far as to name Dominguez the closer, but he did say that the team intends to use right-hander “toward the end of games.”
“I like to be [in the playoffs] because it's there you feel the adrenaline, you feel like you gotta do your job,” Dominguez said Friday on a Zoom call. “[Relievers] focus a little bit more when you're in that situation.”
Dominguez signed a two-year, $20 million contract with a mutual option for 2028 with the Sox. He posted a 3.16 ERA across a career-high 62⅔ innings with the Orioles and Blue Jays. His addition will have a trickle-down effect on the other arms in the bullpen. It takes less pressure off Jordan Leasure and Grant Taylor as the only high-leverage relievers.
“It should be able to keep us in a spot where we can keep those guys healthy and available for big innings,” Venable said.
Getz said that Dominguez is a “stabilizing arm” and will help the team improve its 15-36 record in one-run games by giving Venable more options late in games. The Sox bullpen posted a 4.16 ERA, 18th-best in the majors, and last in save percentage.
“I sit down with Will and the staff before and after games and talk about availability, ‘Who do we have the following day?’” Getz said. “We only have this guy, so how do we get to that guy. Now, we’ve got more options, and that’s going to allow us to finish more games than we have in the past.”
The Sox feel that Dominguez’s playoff experience will be valuable within their clubhouse, in addition to reversing their record in one-run games. Dominguez said he knows “this year will be different” because of the Sox’ youth. He’s not joining an established playoff contender, but instead a group of talented youngsters trying to find their way.
The decision by Getz to invest in a reliever instead of an outfielder will be monitored throughout spring training and the regular season. Getz himself said earlier this offseason that he wanted to address the corner outfield spots. Andrew Benintendi, the lone returning outfielder, will likely spend more time at the designated hitter spot because of recurring Achilles injuries.
The Sox have aspirations to build on their second-half improvement, but they’re taking a gamble by not investing more in the outfield spots and instead betting on unproven players to suddenly have it click at the plate, but Getz is confident in his decision.
“We’re talking about a bullpen that’s going to allow us to get to the finish line to stack up more wins,” he said.