White Sox Sign Ex-Cardinals Fireballer Looking To Bounce-Back To Minor League Deal

Chicago officially signed a former hard-throwing Cardinals pitcher

One former member of the St. Louis Cardinals will be getting a chance to make the Chicago White Sox out of Spring Training.

With Spring Training finally upon us, we're sure to see plenty of free-agent signings in the coming days. There are plenty of players who will land major league deals, but also a lot of players who will sign minor league deals and fight for a chance to break camp with the big league team.

One player who fits this description is former Cardinals hurler Dominic Leone. He spent the 2023 campaign with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, and Seattle Mariners and struggled with a 4.67 ERA in 51 total appearances. 

He's looking to bounce back in 2024 and officially signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox with an invite to Spring Training, according to the club.

"The White Sox have agreed to minor-league deals with (right-handed pitchers) Corey Knebel and Dominic Leone," the team said. "Both will be in camp as (non-roster invites). The Sox now have 68 players in camp, including 28 NRI."

Leone spent two seasons with the Cardinals earlier in his career. The hard-throwing righty appeared in 69 total games with the Cardinals and had a 5.15 ERA and a 72-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 64 2/3 innings pitched. 

It's unclear what his role will be with the White Sox but it wouldn't be surprising to see him make the club out of camp. Just two seasons ago he had an eye-popping 1.51 ERA in 57 appearances with the San Francisco Giants. If he could return to that level of play, he could be a solid upgrade for the White Sox's bullpen.

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