The Chicago White Sox have released reliever Joe Barlow from his minor league contract, according to James Fegan of Sox Machine. Barlow, a right-hander, had been pitching for Triple-A Charlotte but struggled to find his form.
Barlow’s season has been plagued by injuries, delaying his Triple-A debut until June 5. Over the past five weeks, he made 12 appearances for Charlotte, posting disappointing numbers. He allowed 14 runs across 11 2/3 innings, striking out 14 but also issuing eight walks and surrendering five home runs. These struggles made it unlikely for him to earn a call-up to a Chicago bullpen that has already been one of the league’s worst.
Despite not pitching in the majors this season, the 28-year-old Barlow has previous big league experience with the Texas Rangers. He served as the Rangers’ closer for parts of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, recording a combined 2.81 ERA over 66 appearances during those years. While his strikeout and walk rates were never stellar, his ability to keep runs off the board made his rapid decline somewhat surprising. Last year, he made only 13 appearances under Bruce Bochy before being designated for assignment following the Rangers’ acquisition of pitching help at the trade deadline. The Kansas City Royals claimed him but kept him in Triple-A before eventually waiving him.
Barlow entered minor league free agency last winter after posting a 5.52 ERA over 44 Triple-A innings. Now back on the market, he will look for another minor league opportunity to revive his career.
