The tear down of the disappointing 2023 White Sox continued late last night, when Chris Getz pulled the trigger on his first trade, sending Aaron Bummer to the Braves for Mike Soroka, Jared Shuster, Nicky Lopez, Braden Shewmake, and Riley Gowens. Bummer, selected by the White Sox in the 19th round of the 2014 draft, debuted with the team in July of 2017. Since then, he has been a steady presence in the bullpen, appearing in 289 games over the past seven seasons. He struggled in 2023, posting a career-worst 6.79 ERA.
Mike Soroka, 26, went 2-2 with a 6.40 ERA in seven games for the Braves in 2023 while working his way back from injury. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a 2020 start and then re-tore it again in 2021 while rehabbing from the initial injury, causing him to miss the entire 2022 season as well.
Jared Shuster, a left-handed pitcher, made his major league debut for the Braves in 2023. He made eleven starts with the big-league club, going 4-3 with a 5.81 ERA. Nicky Lopez, a local product who attended Naperville Central high school, spent parts of five seasons with the Royals (of course!) before being traded to the Braves last July at the trade deadline. He is a career .249 hitter with 6 home runs.
Braden Shewmake, a 25-year-old shortstop, was the 15th ranked prospect in the Braves organization. He made two appearances for the Braves in May during a brief call-up. Riley Gowens is another local product, a 24-year-old pitcher from Libertyville who played college ball at Illinois. He made five appearances in the Braves system after being selected in the 2023 draft.
Bummer’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
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Last week, we looked at the active leaders in games I’ve attended through 2025 on the offensive side of the ball. With spring training winding down and Opening Day just a few days away, let’s take a look at the defensive side of the ball and the active pitching leaders.
