Tyler Gilbert’s latest turn with the White Sox has ended the way so many roster moves do in September: quietly, and with a little less drama than the transaction itself suggested.
Chicago designated the left-hander for assignment earlier this week to make room on the 40-man roster for Tommy Pham. Gilbert cleared waivers, and the White Sox outrighted him to Triple-A Charlotte today.
Because he has already been outrighted twice in his career, he could have turned down the assignment. Instead, according to James Fegan of the Chicago Sun-Times, he is staying in the organization.
That makes sense at this point in the calendar, since he would not have been eligible to pitch in the postseason for a new team anyway.
Gilbert’s path has been a long one. The Phillies took him in the sixth round of the 2015 draft, and after years in the minors with Philadelphia and a short run in the Dodgers organization, he finally reached the majors with Arizona in 2021.
That debut became the stuff of instant baseball trivia: Gilbert threw a no-hitter in his first big league start. The rest of his time with the Diamondbacks was much more ordinary, as he logged a 4.32 ERA and 4.78 SIERA across 91 2/3 innings in 28 games, including 13 starts, from 2021-23.
After the 2023 season, Gilbert hit free agency and signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati. He never got a major league look with the Reds, but his work at Triple-A Louisville eventually brought him back to the Phillies, who traded for him and used him in a handful of late-season appearances in 2024.
That winter, Philadelphia designated him for assignment and sent him to the White Sox, where he turned in what was probably his best stretch in the majors. No no-hitter this time, but he did work a career-high 51 innings despite a couple of injured list stints.
He finished with a career-best four wins and five holds, and he picked up his first save as well. His 3.88 ERA outpaced a 4.31 SIERA, so there was likely a bit of good fortune mixed in, but he still looked like a useful low-leverage arm.
This season has gone in the opposite direction. Chicago optioned Gilbert after he allowed two runs in one inning on Opening Day.
His next call-up lasted just one game, and he was tagged for four runs in fewer than two innings. It took two months for him to get back to the majors, and after only two more appearances, a left shoulder impingement sent him to the injured list until August.
He returned for his fifth outing of the year this past weekend, then got designated for assignment two days later.
In six total innings for the White Sox in 2026, Gilbert has given up eight runs on 12 hits while striking out four of the 32 batters he has faced. His Triple-A numbers are better, though still hardly eye-catching: a 4.64 ERA and 4.52 xERA in 33 innings, with 31 strikeouts and 10 walks.
For now, Gilbert stays in the White Sox system as organizational depth. If he is not added back to the 40-man roster, he will be able to elect free agency after the season.
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