White Sox Designate John Danks For Assignment
(CBS) The John Danks era is over on Chicago's South Side.
The White Sox have designated the veteran left-hander for assignment amid his continued struggles, general manager Rick Hahn said, bringing an end to his time with the organization. In the final year of his contract and owed $14.25 million this season, the 31-year-old Danks is 0-4 with a 7.25 ERA and 1.75 WHIP.
Since signing a five-year deal with the White Sox in December 2011, Danks has been one of baseball's worst pitchers. He was 7-15 with a 4.71 ERA in 2015, and he hasn't had an ERA better than that mark since 2011. Most of his struggles came after he underwent shoulder surgery in 2012.
This move comes amid a torrid start for the White Sox, who at 18-8 lead the American League and boast baseball's second-best record. That wasn't lost on Hahn, who said they have "something special going on."
Danks was the only weak link on Chicago's pitching staff to date, as the White Sox sport a 2.65 ERA, the third-best mark in MLB.
The team's longest-tenured player, Danks has spent his entire 10-year big league career with the White Sox. His finest moment for them came on Sept. 30, 2008, when in Game 163 he led Chicago to the postseason by pitching eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball in a 1-0 win against the Minnesota Twins on short rest.
In Danks' place, left-hander Carlos Rodon will move up a day to pitch Wednesday against the Red Sox, while right-hander Erik Johnson will start Thursday. The No. 5 starter spot is a "fluid situation" after that, Hahn said. Miguel Gonzalez and Jacob Turner will likely factor into that mix as well.
The White Sox's financial pain of having to buy Danks' salary out is mitigated to a large degree by the $13 million they saved when Adam LaRoche abruptly retired in March.