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"CHICAGO -- Prior to tonight's game vs. Kansas City, the Chicago White Sox signed free-agent right-handed pitcher Esteban Loaiza to a one-year contract through the 2008 season and optioned right-handed pitcher Ehren Wassermann to Class AAA Charlotte. The White Sox also announced that outfielder DeWayne Wise has accepted an outright assignment to Charlotte.
Loaiza, 36, was 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA (15 ER/24.0 IP) in seven games (three starts) with the Dodgers this season. He will wear uniform No. 48 with the White Sox and is expected to work out of the bullpen.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Loaiza has gone 126-114 with a 4.65 ERA (1,083 ER/2,096.0 IP) and 1,381 strikeouts in 374 games (333 starts) over 13 major-league seasons with Pittsburgh (1995-98), Texas (1998-2000), Toronto (2000-02), the White Sox (2003-04), Yankees (2004), Washington (2005), Oakland (2006-07) and Dodgers (2007-08).
His 126 victories rank second all-time among Mexican-born pitchers, trailing only Fernando Valenzuela (173). Loaiza made 55 starts with the White Sox from 2003-04, going 30-14 with a 3.65 ERA (149 ER/367.0 IP) and 290 strikeouts before being traded to the Yankees on July 31, 2004 in exchange for pitcher Jose Contreras. He was named to the American League All-Star Team in both of his seasons with the Sox.
Loaiza's best season came with the Sox in 2003 when he finished second in the AL Cy Young Award voting after going 21-9 with a 2.90 ERA (73 ER/226.1 IP) and 207 strikeouts in 34 starts. He led the AL in strikeouts that season, tied for second in wins and ranked third in ERA. He was the starting pitcher for the AL at the 74th All-Star Game at U.S. Cellular Field, throwing 2.0 scoreless IP.
Wassermann, 27, was 0-1 with a 14.85 ERA (11 ER/6.2 IP) in 11 relief appearances with the White Sox this season after being recalled from Charlotte on April 27.
Wise, 30, was designated for assignment on May 31. He appeared in six games with the Sox after his contract was purchased from Charlotte on May 23. Wise was batting .338 (51-151) with eight home runs, 18 RBI, 31 runs scored and 12 stolen bases in 43 games with the Knights. He led the International League in on-base percentage (.420) and ranked second in average at the time of his promotion to the White Sox.
The White Sox 40-man roster is at 39.
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Solid move I guess, Wassermann hasn't been great so far, and Loiaza was pretty successful with us before.
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