White Sox jettison Rule 5 rookie Jedixson Paez after three outings
MIAMI — The White Sox designated Rule 5 Draft rookie Jedixson Paez for assignment Wednesday after just a couple of rough outings to start the 22-year-old reliever’s career, while the team picked up the contract of journeyman righty Lucas Sims from Triple-A Charlotte.
Diamonds like Shane Smith and Mike Vasil don’t always emerge from the Rule 5 rough, but the Sox didn’t exactly ease Paez in for his first three appearances above High-A, where he played last year in the Red Sox organization.
Manager Will Venable called in Paez for mop-up duty with the bases loaded during their Opening Day blowout loss to the Brewers. He walked home a run and later served up a three-run homer in a brutal inning and a third.
Paez had a clean one-pitch, one-out, one-third of an inning in the second game of the Milwaukee set, but he got rocked Tuesday in Miami to put an ugly early line on his MLB stat sheet: four hits, two homers and six runs surrendered over three innings, with three walks and no strikeouts.
Venable said Paez’s strike-throwing “was really his calling card … and we weren’t able to get there with it.”
“It’s a tough jump for him,” Venable said. “Just felt like it was the right thing to do, for him and for our group — where we’re going to need those innings, we’re going to need some, truthfully, some better performance out of that roster spot.”
As a Rule 5 pick, Paez will be offered back to the Red Sox after clearing waivers. Sox pitching coach Zach Bove said, “Obviously it just didn’t work out, so that’s on us.”
Sims, 31, impressed as a nonroster invitee at spring training for the Sox. A 2012 first-round draft pick on his fifth big-league club, he brought a 4.86 career ERA as a staffer stitched his name and number on a jersey outside the visitors’ clubhouse before Wednesday’s rubber match in Miami.
Sims struggled last year with the Nationals, giving up 19 runs in 12 ⅓ innings, but said he feels rejuvenated after an offseason focusing on his mental health, “refining my joy and my love for the game.”
“So many times you can get caught up in the external, out-of-your-control nonsense,” Sims said. “Getting back to just the raw ... kid in the backyard playing the game. It's just not that serious. It was a lot of work, and we're in a brighter spot now.”
Before recording a strikeout and a walk while hitting a batter and giving up a double in two scoreless innings for his Sox debut, Sims offered some veteran advice for Paez.
“You just keep going. You just keep pitching. He's got a bright future,” Sims said. “I saw him throw this spring and he has an impressive arm. I don't think by any means that's the last we'll see of him.”
Hays settling in
Another veteran addition to the Sox is bullish on their prospects despite a tough start. Austin Hays launched his first home run with the Sox on Monday and made an impressive diving catch Tuesday.
“Everyone is learning their role and identity on the team,” Hays said. “I’m seeing that grow and build right now, but I’m really excited for when everybody really settles in and gets comfortable with one another. I’m having a lot of fun with this team and this clubhouse so far. It’s going to be a fun year.”