Former Brewers back-end starter signs one-year deal with White Sox

Former Brewers starting pitcher Bryse Wilson has inked a one-year deal worth $1.05 million with the Chicago White Sox. Milwaukee parted ways with the 26-year-old when he was outrighted off the 40-man roster this offseason, and elected free agency rather than join the Triple-A club.

His insistence on an MLB role likely worked out well for him; the seven-year MLB pitcher will have a legitimate shot at joining the White Sox starting rotation for the 2025 season.

Brewers lose Bryse Wilson to White Sox

The Brewers acquired Wilson through a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates in January of 2023. The North Carolina native was never able to get his footing with a big league club and showed considerable weaknesses during his 2022 campaign. The righty made 20 starts that season, finishing with a 5.52 ERA.

The Brewers front office clearly saw some bright spots in Wilson when they decided to grab him ahead of the 2023 season. The 6'2" hurler made a complete 180 from his Pirates tenure. In his first season in Milwaukee, he went a perfect 6-0 with an impressive 2.58 ERA. His surprising success was credited partially due to an increased use of his cutter. Brewers pitching coach Chris Hook guided Wilson in the resurgence of his cut fastball, which quickly became his most efficient pitch.

In 76.2 innings of work, Bryse Wilson accumulated a career-best 1.5 WAR and was seen as one of the Brewers' best surprise stories of the 2023 season. It was also a year in which Milwaukee finished first in the NL Central division, producing a 92-70 record.

However, his 2024 season wasn't quite as productive as the former. Wilson appeared in over 100 innings, finishing with a 5-4 record and a 4.04 ERA. These numbers obviously don't match up with his 2023 season, but he still ate up plenty of innings and showed durability and endurance for the Brewers staff.

As a newly acquired member of the White Sox, Wilson has the chance to show his worth with a club that is in desperate need of some talented stars. The Chicago White Sox lost the most games of any major league club in modern history last year, as they dropped 121 games in the 2024 season. With a new manager at the helm, they are searching for difference makers that can help their team trend in the right direction.

As the roster stands, Wilson will be competing with some young hurlers in Jonathan Cannon, Drew Thorpe, and Davis Martin. Wilson could fit in well with this core, as they look to improve upon their MLB-worst 26 starter wins.