Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Jairo Iriarte is set to join the major league roster when the rosters expand, according to James Fegan of Baseball America. Iriarte has spent the entire summer at Double-A and is completely bypassing Triple-A on his way to the big leagues, similar to how fellow White Sox pitching prospect Drew Thorpe did earlier this season. Iriarte has held a solid 3.71 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and a 57:122 BB:K ratio across 126 innings of work. While the 22-year-old has served as a starter, Fegan reported that he should be expected to be deployed out of the bullpen in his first taste of big league ball. Iriarte currently sits as the No.5 ranked prospect in the White Sox system on MLB.com and could be worth a flier if he is given the opportunity to serve as a spot starter down the stretch.
Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Jairo Iriarte suffered his third loss of the season in a strong outing for Double-A Birmingham on Sunday. The 22-year-old fireballer tossed seven frames and allowed four hits, three runs, one walk and recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts. Iriarte was one of the prospects the White Sox received for starting pitcher Dylan Cease this offseason and he has performed very well thus far for Birmingham. In eight starts, Iriarte is 1-3 with a 2.89 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings. The stuff is there for Iriarte, but he needs to control his command better to make it to the next level as he already has piled up 22 walks this season. Iriarte has a bright future ahead of him if he can control his walks and is a name to monitor in dynasty leagues as he could potentially make his debut with the White Sox this summer or next season.
White Sox Land Pitchers Drew Thorpe, Jairo Iriarte From Padres
The Chicago White Sox acquired right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte from the San Diego Padres on Wednesday in exchange for right-hander Dylan Cease, according to a source. The White Sox finally trade Cease away in the midst of their rebuild and land two of San Diego's top-10 prospects in Thorpe (No. 5) and Iriarte (No. 8), per MLB Pipeline. Thorpe, 23, was acquired by the Friars in the blockbuster trade over the winter that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees. He excelled in the minors for the Yanks in 2023 while getting a lot of whiffs with his changeup and slider. Thorpe doesn't throw that hard, though, and lacks the upside of a high-end fantasy starter. Iriarte, 22, can touch triple digits with his heater but doesn't have the command that Thorpe does. He could be a high-leverage reliever in the long term. Both pitchers are merely dynasty stashed in fantasy in 2024.
Ethan Salas, Jairo Iriarte Sent To Minor-League Camp
The San Diego Padres assigned top prospects Ethan Salas, Jairo Iriarte and Robby Snelling to minor-league camp on Sunday. The most notable cut might have been Iriarte, who seemed to be in contention for a spot on the Opening Day pitching staff. Although Salas is considered one of the top catching prospects in the game already, he's only 17 years old, so it's no surprise that he won't break camp with the team. In his Cactus League action, he went 2-for-7. Salas will begin the 2024 season at Double-A San Antonio and probably won't be a realistic catching option for the Friars for another couple years. Iriarte, meanwhile, will begin at Triple-A El Paso despite giving up just one unearned run over three innings in big-league camp. Expect the 22-year-old to receive a promotion to the majors at some point this year.
Jairo Iriarte
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White Sox
