Cam Booser 'excited' for new opportunity with the White Sox
The White Sox acquired left-handed reliever Cam Booser from the Red Sox on Dec. 21 for minor league right-hander Yhoiker Fajardo. The move allowed the Red Sox to create a 40-man roster spot following the Patrick Sandoval signing.
A trade this offseason wasn't on Booser’s radar but nonetheless is excited to get to work for Chicago.
"To be honest, no. I hadn't really even considered it," Booser said of the trade to White Sox reporters via Zoom on Friday. "It all happened pretty quick, and then after it happened, it was just a little bit of an initial shock. Now that I've had a couple of days, I'm just excited for the new opportunity.
“Any time that I have a uniform, I'm excited to play. The fact that somebody wanted me is exciting. The fact that Chicago made the trade for me is exciting."
The addition of Booser gives the White Sox another lefty for their bullpen that already features Jared Shuster, Fraser Ellard, and Jake Eder, all of whom pitched out of the bullpen at one point last season.
Booser made his major league debut on April 19, where he posted a 3.38 ERA in 43 outings (42 2/3 innings) for Boston. He went 2-3 with one save, holding left-handed hitters to a .687 OPS, and right-handed hitters hit just .232 off the southpaw.
He made his big league debut on April 19 on the road against the Pirates, earning his first big league strikeout, getting Andrew McCutchen swinging on a 96-mph four-seam heater. He would then need just seven pitches to retire the side in the ninth inning.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound lefty offers a three-pitch mix that features a 95-97 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph, an 82-85 mph slider, and an 86-90 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects scouting report.
The lefty was named the 2024 Tony Conigliaro Award winner, becoming the fourth Red Sox player to win the award, joining Bret Saberhagen (1998), Jon Lester (2007), and John Lackey (2013). Current Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks won the award last year while he was a member of the Chicago White Sox.
Booser will have a chance to carve out a spot in the White Sox bullpen, bringing a power arm and an incredible baseball story. If Booser has a strong first half of the season, the White Sox could look to flip the lefty at the trade deadline and acquire a prospect or two.
“I’m excited,” Booser said. “I'm ready to go into camp and do anything I can to try to earn a big league spot."
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