Desperate for arms, the Chicago White Sox sign Adrian Houser for immediate rotation assistance

The South Siders put out the SOS and call on veteran pitcher to be a stopgap innings-eater

The Chicago White Sox have officially signed righthander Adrian Houser to a one-year, $1.35 million contract. The move brings a veteran arm to the White Sox rotation, with Houser slated to make his 2025 season debut for the team tonight against the Seattle Mariners.

Houser had been pitching this season with the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express, until the Rangers released him on May 15. In 39 1⁄3 innings across eight starts and one relief appearance, he posted a 5.03 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 37 strikeouts, and 15 walks. His last outing on May 14 prior to his release was particularly strong as he tossed an impressive 8 2⁄3 scoreless innings with four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. However, clearly, the Rangers weren’t impressed enough to keep him around. Desperate for any arm that could hurl a few frames, it only took the White Sox five days to snatch him up.

The 32-year-old Houser, who last played in MLB in 2024 with the New York Mets, has pitched 608 2⁄3 innings over his seven major league seasons. During his 2024 stint with the Mets, he posted a 5.84 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across 69 1⁄3 innings, making seven starts and 16 relief appearances. His career highlight was arguably the 2021 season with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he achieved a 1.8 WAR and a 3.22 ERA over 142 1⁄3 innings. His only other big league season since then with a positive WAR (0.9) was in 2023 when he went 8-5 with a 4.12 ERA.

Sox fans should prepare themselves for more signings like this from the South Siders moving forward. The way they’re gassing the starters and plowing through the pen, Chicago will need to sign arms anywhere they can find them.