White Sox claim pitcher Alex Speas off waivers from Rangers

Speas, 25, went 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA (18 ER/56.2 IP), .170 (34-for-200) opponents average, 85 strikeouts (13.5 per 9.0 IP) and four saves over 49 appearances (one start) this season between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock in the Rangers minor-league system. Speas also made his major league debut on July 19th vs. Tampa Bay. In three major league relief appearances, he allowed three runs with four strikeouts in 2.0 IP.

Speas, a second-rounder in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft, is 10-11 with a 4.20 ERA (67 ER/143.2 IP), 11 saves, and 222 strikeouts (13.9 per 9.0 IP) in 106 games (14 starts) over six seasons (2016-19, ’21, ’23) in the Rangers organization.

Naquin, 32, appeared in five games with the White Sox and went 0-for-8 after his contract was selected from Triple-A Charlotte on September 26. In 28 games with the Knights, Naquin was rather unimpressive at the plate with a .217/.294/.371 slash.

Following the moves, Chicago’s 40-man roster remains at 40.