White Sox, Herrera agree to 2-year, $18M deal
The Chicago White Sox agreed to a two-year, $18-million contract with free-agent reliever Kelvin Herrera on Tuesday, the team announced.
The deal also contains an option for 2021 that could bring the total value to $27 million, a source told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
Kelvin Herrera's vesting option with the White Sox, beyond the two years he got, is garden variety in structure, based on games finished/appearances.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 7, 2019
Herrera, a two-time All-Star who helped the Kansas City Royals to consecutive AL pennants and a World Series championship in 2015, split last season between the Royals and Washington Nationals. While he was excellent in Kansas City - recording a 1.05 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 14 saves in 27 outings - Herrera struggled after being traded to the Nationals in mid-June, posting a 4.34 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over 21 appearances.
The 29-year-old's season ended in August after he tore a ligament in his foot while covering first base. Last month, Herrera was cleared to begin jogging for the first time since the injury.
Herrera's the second former All-Star reliever the White Sox have acquired this offseason after they traded for Alex Colome in November. Both players could have a chance to earn closing duties.
Across eight career big-league seasons, Herrera owns a 2.82 ERA (150 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP with a K/9 rate of 8.9 and 60 saves.