Latest news with #Vasil
New York Post
28-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Mike Vasil slipped away from Mets — and is quickly making most of White Sox chance
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free Mike Vasil assumed he was going to once again be a Met. Informed a few days before the season began that he was not going to make the Rays roster, the Rule 5 draft pick packed up his stuff and drove to Port St. Lucie. The vast majority of the time, when a Rule 5 selection cannot stick with a team that has taken a chance on him, that player is offered back to his original club. But he only gets offered back to the original club after a waiver period. In a rarity, another team — the White Sox — put in a claim. On March 23, Vasil sat in the Mets' backyard and watched the NCAA Tournament when he received a phone call from a Florida phone number that he assumed would entail the Rays officially telling him he had been returned to the Mets. Instead it was Tampa Bay president of baseball operations Erik Neander, who told him 'to get on a plane to Chicago for Opening Day,' Vasil recalled from the visiting clubhouse Tuesday. 'And I was like: Wow, this is pretty crazy. … My head really just started spinning.' Vasil, a former top pitching prospect for the Mets, has proven elusive since becoming a former Met. 3 Former Mets prospect Mike Vasil has started to find success with the White Sox. Eric Canha-Imagn Images Left unprotected in December's draft, he was grabbed by the Phillies but then flipped to the Rays. He allowed seven runs in 10 ²/₃ Grapefruit League innings with the Rays but showed enough that the White Sox believed they could find a role for the longtime starter in their bullpen. They might be right. Vasil entered play Tuesday with a 2.30 ERA in his first 16 major league games, essentially filling the same role that Max Kranick has carved out in Queens. Vasil has pitched three innings in a game five times and been a nice piece for a team that can use any help it can get. 3 Mike Vasil celebrates after recording the final out in the White Sox win over the Reds on May 14, 2025. Getty Images This is not how the Mets had envisioned Vasil reaching the majors, but the Amazin's had long envisioned he would reach the majors. Vasil was an eighth-round pick in 2021 who climbed through their system, was rated as their 11th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2023 and 2024, but stumbled last season with Triple-A Syracuse. On the doorstep of a debut with the Mets, Vasil could not break through and pitched to a 6.04 ERA in 29 games last season. This year, he said, he 'would like to think [my stuff] is a little bit better.' He has ditched his cutter and relied more on his slider, maybe the only reliever in the game with a six-pitch mix. 'Off to a good start,' Vasil said of an unexpected major league opportunity with the White Sox he twice called 'awesome.' 'But I realistically just want to pitch well, especially coming off of last year. So that was kind of my main goal.' If he regresses, the Mets would welcome him with open arms. Vasil has to survive the season on the active roster for the White Sox, who would have to offer him back to the Mets instead of optioning him. 3 Mike Vasil during Mets spring training in 2024. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST He had not reached the major leagues with the Mets, yet he spent time this week catching up with player development folks around the team in his first big league visit to Citi Field. 'I think for me, for them being such a big organization, obviously, and being in New York, how personal they can make things for you and how you get to know everyone,' Vasil said, 'I think is a really, really cool thing.'
Chicago Tribune
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Shane Smith settling in with Chicago White Sox after ‘pandemonium' of big-league debut
CLEVELAND — Shane Smith didn't have a great feeling when Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton connected on a fourth-inning fastball. 'Off the bat, I'm thinking that thing's probably leaving the yard,' the Chicago White Sox starter said. But with the wind howling in Tuesday at Rate Field, left fielder Andrew Benintendi drifted over and made the catch. Smith exhaled while watching the play unfold. 'I don't even know if (Benintendi) was on the warning track and I was like, 'That ball should be 30 rows deep,'' Smith said. That was one of many memorable moments in Smith's big-league debut against the Twins. He allowed two runs on two hits with three strikeouts and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. He didn't factor in the decision in the 8-3 loss. 'I did some really good things and there's definitely things to clean up — whether it be mechanically or what I'm trying to do with pitches,' Smith told the Tribune on Saturday in Detroit. 'But really fond of looking back on that day and just trying to build off of it.' Smith is scheduled to make his second start Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. 'Just trying to figure out what works and use what works a little bit more,' he said. 'And it depends on the day. If the slider's the pitch that day, then lean on that pitch. Or if it's a changeup, curveball or (with) the fastball, (if) the velo is back up a little bit, then you lean on those things. 'It's just finding out what's going to work against the lineup, what I feel is going to work that day. (And) making sure my bullpens during the week are going to reflect what I want to do in the next start.' Smith, 25, is experiencing it all as a major-leaguer for the first time after the Sox selected him in the Rule 5 draft from the Milwaukee Brewers in December. He described the past week as 'awesome.' 'It's good to settle in with these guys,' he said. 'Settled in after the start (against the Twins) — that pandemonium died down a little bit. And now looking forward to getting in a groove and some consistent outings.' Teammate Mike Vasil witnessed some of the steps Smith took to get to this point. The two pitchers, both from Massachusetts, worked out together during the offseason. 'I see how hard he works every day,' Vasil recently said. 'I get to see what he does in the gym every day. He pushes me a lot to work hard. 'So the first thing I saw of (a spring training) update was him striking out (Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei) Ohtani (in a March 8 Cactus League game). I was like, 'What is going on out there?' I started to check in. I wasn't shocked at all because I saw him work hard all offseason.' Like Smith, Vasil was a Rule 5 pick in the offseason, but his route to the Sox was different. The Philadelphia Phillies selected the right-hander in the Rule 5 draft from the New York Mets, then traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox claimed Vasil off waivers near the end of spring training. 'It was definitely the most unique spring training experience I've ever had,' Vasil said. 'But overall I'm very excited to be here and couldn't be happier.' Vasil, 25, has allowed two hits in four scoreless innings during two relief outings this season. He made his major-league debut March 31 against the Twins. Vasil told the Tribune last week his favorite part of the day was sharing it with his family. 'For them to be on field after and take photos — my mom, dad, sister — that's really special to me,' Vasil said. 'And my dad (Greg), too, being the kind of guy he is, spending so many hours with me during baseball. To have him behind home plate, watching me pitch in a major-league game, is really special.' Smith had almost 50 friends and family members in attendance for his first outing. 'It'll be in my life forever,' he said. 'Them loving me and supporting me for who I am, you really can't put a price on that.'
Fox Sports
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
White Sox release INF Brandon Drury and claim RHP Mike Vasil off waivers from Rays
Associated Press GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Chicago White Sox have released Brandon Drury from his minor league contract after the veteran infielder fractured his left thumb. The White Sox also claimed right-hander Mike Vasil off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. Right-hander Gus Varland was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, and right-hander Prelander Berroa was placed on the 60-day injured list. The 32-year-old Drury, who can play second base, third base and the outfield, hit .410 with three homers and 11 RBIs in spring training. He agreed to a minor league contract with Chicago on Feb. 7. Vasil, who turned 25 on Wednesday, is looking for his big league debut. He was selected by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of the University of Virginia. The 6-foot-5 Vasil was picked by Philadelphia in the Rule 5 Draft in December and then traded the same day to the Rays in exchange for cash. The 24-year-old Berroa had Tommy John surgery last week. The procedure was performed by Dr. Keith Meister. ___ AP MLB: recommended
Associated Press
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
White Sox release INF Brandon Drury and claim RHP Mike Vasil off waivers from Rays
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Chicago White Sox have released Brandon Drury from his minor league contract after the veteran infielder fractured his left thumb. The White Sox also claimed right-hander Mike Vasil off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. Right-hander Gus Varland was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, and right-hander Prelander Berroa was placed on the 60-day injured list. The 32-year-old Drury, who can play second base, third base and the outfield, hit .410 with three homers and 11 RBIs in spring training. He agreed to a minor league contract with Chicago on Feb. 7. Vasil, who turned 25 on Wednesday, is looking for his big league debut. He was selected by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of the University of Virginia. The 6-foot-5 Vasil was picked by Philadelphia in the Rule 5 Draft in December and then traded the same day to the Rays in exchange for cash. The 24-year-old Berroa had Tommy John surgery last week. The procedure was performed by Dr. Keith Meister. ___
