Don't know anything about him so i will reserve judgement.  

the track record says that  he maybe our highest paid off season move.  

I hate Jerry and what this organization has done to my fandom.  

A couple more moves like this should put the team in 2026 Playoff contention!!!!

1) At his age and contract numbers, simply a placeholder to protect the injured/rehabbing pitchers and better prospects that are still at least 3-4 months away.

2) With any success similar to Fedde, likely a trade and flip guy.  Contract numbers will be quite affordable for basically any contender out there looking for deadline upgrades.

3) Still doesn't exceed $5 million per season...that was likely the limit to JR's budget for FA signings.

4) Essentially replaced Trevor Bauer for the BayStars.

5) Looks like DaVitt and Cannon will be battling it out for the fifth spot...and possibly another Rule 5 guy.

6) Nice to have at least one lefty for some balance in the rotation.  One concern is everyone in the Sox rotation throws basically the same speed...93-95 mph, with the exception of Shane Smith.

7) Vasil still in the bullpen?  Probably? Maybe?

😎 Probably puts NPB FA Takahashi in the $15-25 million range.  And finally, perhaps Kay can help the Sox with recruiting one of his teammates?

"Our ace Katsuki Azuma, a little lefty. He throws 88 to 90 and a bunch of different pitches and can just dot it everywhere...(sounds a lot like Imanaga with a lesser FB, so even more dependent on pin point control).  And Andre Johnson a fellow BayStar."

Edited December 3, 2025Dec 3 by caulfield12

10 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

7) Vasil still in the bullpen?  Probably? Maybe?

yes. Getz threw cold water on starter talk.

Just food for thought. What if?...... The Sox kept Fedde, and Houser. Added Kay to Martin and Smith for a 5 man rotation, with a bunch of our young prospects nipping at their heels?

This is the type of signings the staff needs.  Even if he is still a 5+ era guy, his ability to eat innings will help a young staff.  if he's Fedde2, hopefully they do well trading him something like 18 years worth of potential control.

7 minutes ago, soxrwhite said:

Just food for thought. What if?...... The Sox kept Fedde, and Houser. Added Kay to Martin and Smith for a 5 man rotation, with a bunch of our young prospects nipping at their heels?

Well Fedde went south pretty quickly after the trade.

Houser slipped as well.

Just depends on how much impact Katz and Bannister had.

Remember...these guys AND Kay are/were all vets and in their 30's, so the odds were always  going to be against them being around for the 2028-2030 "competitive window."

Not sure either guy would have been offered more than $5-$7.5 million per season to stick around anyway.  The goal was always to limit the number of bigger contracts on the books for the 2027 lockout year when attendance might really bottom out depending on how bitter the dispute turns out to be (1994-95 was particularly devastating to almost all teams across what is now the AL/NL Central, the Heartland and Rust Belt down to Cincy.)

Sinker had a nasty 86% ground ball rate last year

6 minutes ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

Sinker had a nasty 86% ground ball rate last year

But remember he has to now adjust from majority flat swinging "dead ball era" hitters in Japan to more common lift and pull/uppercut swings in the US.

One side or the other will prevail.

But two totally different games/styles.

Edited December 3, 2025Dec 3 by caulfield12

That’s a lot of money for a dude who has had little success. Seems like a very Hahn pen signing. 

edit - if he’s a rotation piece, the signing makes a lot more sense, and the price tag isnt so terrible. 

Edited December 3, 2025Dec 3 by Tnetennba

SoxMachine clocks in...

Looking overseas for rotation help, White Sox sign Anthony Kay to two-year deal - Sox Machine

Quote

A source told James that Kay had better offers to stay in Japan, but that he will return to Major League Baseball with a chance to stake a claim in the White Sox rotation, which needed a left-hander to replace Martín Pérez. Kay has allowed just one stolen base in three opportunities over his 44 games and 85⅓ innings in the majors, so his presence already seems guaranteed to help the White Sox in their quest to suppress the running game.

 

41 minutes ago, 2Deep said:

Don't know anything about him so i will reserve judgement.  

the track record says that  he maybe our highest paid off season move.  

I hate Jerry and what this organization has done to my fandom.  

Merkin has a Winter Meetings preview out now that says Getz is looking for a LH bat for a corner spot.  I’d wager that player could easily blow this deal out of the water, even if I don’t believe they will go three years or above $30M on anyone.

25 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

yes. Getz threw cold water on starter talk.

Why did he do that?

5 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Why did he do that?

I don't know. I'm going to guess that Getz feels he can do better than Vasil in the rotation, and that Vasil is more valuable as a bullpen arm. 

Perfectly fine gamble given the size of the contract.  Still hope we add a legit corner bat and a reliever who can serve as the primary closer.

Move is fine, someone has to pitch and in today's baseball world, even shitty pitchers get double digit million dollar contracts. Kay for 2/12 is perfectly fine.

16 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Why did he do that?

We do a lot of that.  Similar happened with Taylor.

Who in tha blue hell is this guy .....

 

 

10 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

We do a lot of that.  Similar happened with Taylor.

Taylor I get to some extent, but Vasil has averaged ~120 innings pitched the last three years.  He should be able to handle a starter’s workload.  Maybe they prefer him as a reliever, but it’s not his K popped up moving to the bullpen.  Just curious on the why more than anything as I’d personally rather see him the rotation vs. Cannon or Davitt.

Edited December 3, 2025Dec 3 by Chicago White Sox

9 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Taylor I get to some extent, but Vasil has averaged ~120 innings pitched the last three years.  He should be able to handle a starter’s workload.  Maybe they prefer him as a reliever, but it’s not his K popped up moving to the bullpen.  Just curious on the why more than anything as I’d personally rather see him the rotation vs. Cannon or Davitt.

Only thing I can guess is that he struggled as a starter in the minors with the Mets in 2023 and 2024, finally had success as a reliever last year, so they don’t want to mess with him.  But I agree with you, he seems like the perfect candidate for a cheap rebuilding team to try as a starter again.

This is the equivalent of

Don't put out the good plates, grab those paper plates over there and just throw them away. We need someone to eat some innings then go away. 

 

Get him on some "vitamins" and flip him at the deadline.

29 minutes ago, Texsox said:

This is the equivalent of

Don't put out the good plates, grab those paper plates over there and just throw them away. We need someone to eat some innings then go away. 

 

Basically, an exact redo of Fedde, whom they wisely sold high.

O`Hearn (not really an everyday OF), W.Castro (terrible after trade) Yazstremski and Kepler are your Tier B/C LHH corner guys.

Yuck!!!

 

Other Free Agent Corner Outfielders: Tommy Pham (nope), ***Michael Conforto, Lane Thomas (30), ***Dylan Carlson (at least younger), Chris Taylor, Mitch Haniger (almost 35), Hunter Renfroe, Austin Slater (not happening again), Kiké Hernandez (LAD), Jason Heyward (retiring?), ***Alex Verdugo (29, -0.3 bWAR)

 

So 7 options...none all that appealing, O'Hearn best fit but not in the OF.

Buy low/pillow on Castro?

Kepler/Yazstremski both familiar with Central.

 

So Benintendi to DH full time?

That would block Sosa perhaps unless you play him at first.

Edited December 3, 2025Dec 3 by caulfield12

Anthony Kay made these key adjustments while pitching in Japan the past 2 years:

- Sinker implementation. Using a sinker as much as his 4-seam led to a higher ground ball rate and new sequencing. Fits White Sox methodology.

- 6 pitch mix now. Fastball, sinker, cutter,…

— Elijah Evans (@ElijahEv8) December 3, 2025