GLENDALE, Ariz. — Everyone likes a nice comeback and spring phenom story.
And how about a good Rule 5 Draft story where the pick is such a sure thing to make an Opening Day roster, hands aren’t wrung over the “keep him or return him” decision.
So it is with right-hander Shane Smith, a sturdy power arm who added an above average changeup in the offseason to an arsenal featuring upper 90s velocity and officially nailed down a spot, to no one’s surprise on the White Sox pitching staff Thursday.
“Phenom” is a stretch for Smith, but he did have that phenomenal moment two weeks ago when Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith of the Dodgers struck out in the first inning of a Cactus League start, then and struck out Ohtani and Freeman again in three scoreless innings of work.
Although manager Will Venable wouldn’t confirm it, Smith seems a good bet to join a probable top four of Sean Burke, Davis Martin, Martin Perez and Jonathan Cannon in the rotation.
“Everything that me and my family and the journey I’ve been on over the last couple of years, it’s everything,” Smith said of making the team and being part of Opening Day ceremonies next Thursday at Rate Field.
“A lot of tears from my mom and tears from my dad, which is new. But they are so happy for me and excited.”
After a bumpy first start this spring, the 6-3, 240-pound Smith found a groove and his pitched to a 3.38 ERA over four starts. He owned a 3.05 ERA with 113 strikeouts and 29 walks in 94 1/3 innings between the Brewers Double-A and Triple-A affiliates last season, but the Brewers left him off their 40-man roster and tried to sneak him past the Rule 5 Draft, which aims to prevent teams from hoarding too many young players in the minor leagues when other organizations would employ them in the majors.
The Sox snagged Smith with the first pick in December and paid the Brewers a $100,000 draft fee. Now, Smith must stay on the Sox’ major league roster all season or be returned.
“I give a lot of credit to our pro acquisition group,” Sox senior adviser to pitching Brian Bannister said. “They put a lot of time in. They narrowed down the candidate pool for who we wanted to select and spent a lot of time going through the pitchers. The most interesting thing about him last year, because he’s had a little injury history [two major surgeries in college including Tommy John], was just the performance of the fastball. There was something going on there that was unique, with his deception, his ability to limit damage.”
Smith’s fastball doesn’t have a lot of movement but deception in a closed delivery helps him hide the ball on hitters. Finally discovering the changeup in the offseason to go with his heater and breaking ball.
“I was banging my head against the wall for a couple of years trying to throw a changeup and made a small tweak and started to see the promise,” he said.
“There’s a little randomness to the movement on his pitches,” Bannister said. “We are excited about that. It’s a unique quality and not a lot of pitchers have it. He’s come out with the added velo, the work he put in and really gotten through some of the better lineups in the league.”
Smith pitched four innings against the Brewers in Phoenix on Wednesday, a head-spinning experience for a guy who is still living with former Brewers minor-league teammates Logan Henderson, Tate Kuehner and Brett Wichrowski.
“I try not to look into the decisions that the front office makes and the choices that they make,” he said of the Brewers not protecting him. “But when I realized that time had passed, I said OK. And then the White Sox, I’m thankful that they took me.”