Sox acquire Gillaspie from Rays for Jennings
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CHICAGO -- And then there was one.
With the trade of Dan Jennings to the Rays in exchange for switch-hitting first baseman Casey Gillaspie Thursday morning, Jake Petricka is the lone reliever on the active roster from the Opening Day bullpen.
Among those not traded, Nate Jones and Zach Putnam underwent season-ending surgery, and Michael Ynoa is on the disabled list with Triple-A Charlotte.
"You wait for that call, and then you get it, and you're gone," Petricka said. "Unless you're in the locker room like [Todd Frazier] and [Tommy Kahnle] and [David Robertson] were, we don't really get a chance to say goodbye to them, which makes it kind of hard, but it's the nature of the business."
Gillaspie, 24, was rated by MLBPipeline.com as the No. 10 prospect in the Tampa Bay organization and checks in at No. 14 with the White Sox. He batted .227 with 15 doubles, nine home runs, 44 RBIs and 45 runs scored in 95 games this season with Triple-A Durham. He will be placed on Charlotte's DL with a fractured right big toe, an injury sustained at Buffalo on Tuesday when he fouled a ball off his foot. He is expected to miss one to two weeks.
Conor Gillaspie, Casey's older brother, played for the White Sox from 2013 to 2015. Casey was drafted by the Rays in the first round (20th overall) of the 2014 Draft out of Wichita State.
"Casey has shown a quality approach at the plate with some power throughout his Minor League career," said general manager Rick Hahn in a team release on Thursday. "He gives us yet another highly touted hitter who has stood out at every level in the Rays' system and increases our organizational depth as we continue to add prospects to the system."
Jennings, 30, is tied for second in the American League in appearances this season, with 48, going 3-1 with a 3.45 ERA, 38 strikeouts and seven holds over 44 1/3 innings. He went 9-7 with a 3.12 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 165 games over three seasons with the White Sox after being acquired from Miami on Dec. 10, 2014, in exchange for pitcher Andre Rienzo.
On Wednesday, Jennings talked about the uncertainty of a trade during the White Sox rebuild -- especially with his wife, Courtney, expecting their second child.
"You really try to push that out of your head," Jennings said. "I mean, I've been traded once before, totally unexpected. You really try to push that to the side.
"Even if you get traded or you're here, it's still the same game. It's still pitching, and I've always taken pride in taking the ball whenever, in any situation. I just hope to continue to do that."
Since the start of the season's second half, the White Sox have traded Jennings, Anthony Swarzak, Robertson, Kahnle, Frazier and José Quintana and received 10 players in return. Starting pitchers Derek Holland and Miguel González and left fielder Melky Cabrera remain as trade targets leading up to Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline.
"We welcome everyone who is joining us after these changes have occurred," manager Rick Renteria said. "They know what's in front of them. If anything is to be said, we'll figure it out."