Declan Cronin is a right-hander for the White Sox, and they designated him for assignment this afternoon. The move makes room for left-hander Tim Hill, who the team signed to a one-year contract earlier today, on the 40-man roster. At some time, the team will also need to officially announce their rumored agreement with catcher Martin Maldonado, which will require another 40-man roster transfer.
After getting chosen in the 36th round of the 2019 draft, Cronin, 26, became a member of the White Sox. After being drafted, he made an impression in the minor leagues in 2019. He appeared in 20 games, divided between rookie ball and Single-A, and had a 2.88 ERA. Due to the postponed minor league season, Cronin was unable to play in 2020. When he did play professionally again, he struggled, finishing with a 4.56 ERA in 35 games between High-A and Double-A in 2021. Additionally, his walk rate increased from 8.1% in 2019 to 10.8% in 2021. Luckily for the righty, he made a partial recovery in 2022 and was good enough to make it to Triple-A by midseason.
Over the last two seasons, Cronin has worked 74 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level and has a respectable 3.74 ERA while striking out just 16.8% of hitters. With that performance, Cronin was called up in the middle of the 2023 season. Cronin eventually made nine appearances for the South Siders during the stretch run, despite a poor showing that included an eleven-inning 9.00 ERA. Cronin walked 13.7% of batters he faced while striking out just 15.7% of them during that brief encounter in the majors.
Cronin will be available for waivers moving forward, and he could be claimed by any team that is willing to provide him a position on their 40-man roster. Interest from teams is piqued by the right-hander’s recent low strikeout totals and major league outcomes, but he has consistently recorded groundball rates above 50% throughout his professional career, including a 55.9% clip in the big leagues. Because of his penchant for groundballs, clubs may want to give Cronin some thought as a depth option. If he clears waivers, the White Sox will be able to send him straight to the minor leagues, where he may be kept without needing to occupy a spot on the 40-man roster for the 2024 campaign.