White Sox claim Rays Rule 5 pick Mike Vasil off of waivers as rosters are finalized

The Rays worked on finalizing their Opening Day roster by optioning flamethrower Joe Boyle and others to minor league camp. Tampa Bay pitchers made these decisions rather difficult, especially with the incredible depth the club has going into the 2025 season. Nonetheless, these choices need to be made and some players end up with poor outcomes, like being released or sent to other teams right before the start of the year.

That was the case for the Rays Rule 5 draft pick Mike Vasil. The 6'5 hurler finished the spring on a high note for the Rays, but the front office ultimately decided that there wasn't a fit for him on the roster. He was added to waivers and the Chicago White Sox picked him up to add to their pitching depth.

Vasil will be joining a very young and inexperienced group in Chicago, but hopefully he is able to make the most of his situation. On the bright side, the AL Central club is under new management after their disastrous 121-loss campaign. Mike Vasil should fit in well with a team that is in full rebuild mode.

As the Rays begin to put the finishing touches on their Opening Day roster, they still have a few spots to fill in the pitching department. The offensive side has been ironed out after they decided to select Curtis Mead and option former White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez to Triple-A. Although, two talented hurlers were recently added to the IL in Shane McClanahan and Alex Faedo. The two Florida natives were seen as main pieces in the rotation and bullpen respectively.

However, the depth will be tested early on as the Rays will have to fill those vacancies. Vasil and Boyle are clearly not the men for the job, so who will step up? Former Tigers reliever Mason Englert has had an impressive spring and looks to potentially join the relief core on Opening Day. The 25-year old has produced a 3.00 ERA in his six innings of work, while striking out eight opponents.

Despite already being sent to the minors, Jacob Waguespack and Eric Orze are two relievers that should get a shot at that final reliever role. Waguespack finished the spring with a 4.50 ERA across six frames, while Orze put up a 1.42 ERA with 10 strikeouts in the same limited workload.