Erick Fedde is returning to American baseball in 2024, signing a two-year, $15 million deal with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, according to reports. The deal was first reported by MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. The righty pitched great in his one year in South Korea for the NC Dinos. In 180 1/3 innings, Fedde went 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA. He also struck out an excellent 29.5 percent of batters faced while walking under 5 percent of opposing hitters. His production earned him the 2023 KBO MVP award.
Per Major League source, White Sox have agreed to terms with RHP Erick Fedde. Deal is pending physical.
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 5, 2023
Erick Fedde Signs with White Sox
At 30 years old, Fedde represents the latest American pitcher looking to re-establish their MLB career after excelling overseas. If all goes well, Fedde will provide the White Sox with solid innings from the back of the rotation.
Fedde’s MLB History
The Washington Nationals selected Fedde 18th overall in the 2014 draft. He dealt with some injuries and underperformance before the Nationals non-tendered him last winter. So far in his big league career, Fedde has pitched 454 1/3 innings with a 77 ERA+ and below-average strikeout and walk rates.
Despite his poor production, Fedde consistently produced very good ground ball rates (expect in 2022) and extension. With an extension that ranks amongst the best in the league, Fedde releases the ball closer to the plate than most pitchers. This makes his fastball, which averaged 93.2 mph in 2021, look faster to hitters and give them less time to react to his pitches.
Apparently #KBO MVP Erick Fedde is headed back to #MLB after accomplishing these feats in Korea
: Won Triple Crown (20 wins, 2.00 ERA, 209 Ks), 1st foreign pitcher to do so
: Became 1st foreign pitcher with 20 W+200K in 1 season
: Received Choi Dong-won Award, KBO’s Cy Young— Jeeho Yoo (@Jeeho_1) December 5, 2023
Fedde’s performance last season further pops out because the KBO is widely considered extremely friendly to hitters. While his MVP-worthy dominance does not guarantee MLB success next year, Fedde made adjustments that the White Sox seemingly believe will stick.
As he told Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post, Fedde credits a workout facility named PUSH Performance for improving the health of his shoulder and helping him improve his pitches. He worked on his mechanics, which improved thanks to a healthy shoulder, altered the shape of his fastball, added more horizontal movement on his slider, and altered the grip and tilt of his changeup.
Reports indicate that multiple teams expressed interest in the right-hander this winter. As Erick Fedde signs with the White Sox, he will look to prove his adjustments are legit. Though he was drafted almost 10 years ago, it’s never too late for Fedde to live up to his hype.
Photo Credit: © Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
