Heuer reflects on time in Sox org

CHICAGO -- Codi Heuer was on his way to Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday, July 30, with a focus on being ready to pitch that night for the White Sox against Cleveland, when he got the call from general manager Rick Hahn.

Heuer, 25, had been traded to the Cubs along with second baseman Nick Madrigal for closer Craig Kimbrel.

“I was pretty surprised,” Heuer told MLB.com prior to Sunday’s Crosstown Series finale. “But it’s how it goes.

“It’s always great to be valued like that, especially when you are in a trade with a future Hall of Fame closer. It’s a pretty cool feeling, especially since I grew up watching that guy, Kimbrel, pitch. I’ve been watching him forever, so it’s pretty cool to be in a trade with him.”

After being selected in the sixth round of the 2018 MLB Draft, Heuer made his debut for the White Sox during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The right-hander was an integral part of the White Sox bullpen, posting a 1.52 ERA in 21 games and 23 2/3 innings.

Those numbers jumped a bit in ’21, marking Heuer’s first full big league season, as he finished with a 5.12 ERA in 40 games with 39 strikeouts over 38 2/3 innings for the White Sox. Heuer has the makings of a late-inning, high-leverage sort of pitcher, but the White Sox are in a championship-now sort of mode.

They saw the chance to add one of the game’s best closers, in Kimbrel, to their late-inning mix. And, in doing so, they had to give up valuable young talent. Heuer made a solid impact on his teammates during his big league time and will support the ’21 White Sox during their October quest despite his move across town.

“Yeah, I love these guys, so I would like to see the best for them in the playoffs. I’ll be watching for sure,” Heuer said. “I made a lot of great relationships over there. I have a lot of great memories with those guys.

“I’ve got a lot of great memories in this park. So, I wish the best for them, but things change and I’m excited to see what the future holds on this new team.”

Madrigal, who is out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a right hamstring tear, and Heuer have talked since the trade. They are ready and excited to help the Cubs push back into contention.

Entering Sunday, over 12 games with the Cubs, Heuer has produced a 1.29 ERA. He has just seven strikeouts in 14 innings but is getting much-needed late-inning outs for his new team.

“It’s a storied organization. Wrigley is awesome,” said Heuer of the Cubs. “I’ve only been there a little bit so far. The fans are awesome. It’s hard to explain. That place is a great atmosphere to play in every day.

“For my first full season, coming off a little bit of a different workload, it was different a little. It was all right,” added Heuer of his ’21 White Sox performance. “You are going to ride the wave as a reliever. I pitched in a lot of roles for these guys. I’m looking forward to the next day and continue to get better.”