<
>

White Sox closer Alex Colome gets $10.5 million deal

CHICAGO -- Closer Alex Colome agreed to a one-year contract for $10,532,500 with the White Sox, who reached deals with all five of their arbitration-eligible players Friday.

Chicago acquired the 31-year-old right-hander from Seattle in November 2018, and the former Tampa Bay closer had one of his best years. Colome converted 30 of 33 save opportunities and went 4-5 with a 2.80 ERA, earning $7,325,000.

Also reaching deals were recently acquired outfielder Nomar Mazara ($5.56 million), right-hander Evan Marshall ($1.1 million), utility player Leury Garcia ($3.25 million) and lefty Carlos Rodon ($4.45 million).

Mazara hit .268 with 19 homers for Texas last season, when he made $3.3 million. He was traded to the White Sox last month.

The 29-year-old Marshall finished 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 55 appearances in his first season for Chicago and was eligible for arbitration for the first time after playing for a $605,000 major league salary last year. He has a 4.21 ERA in six seasons with Arizona, Seattle, Cleveland and the White Sox.

Garcia set career highs in batting average (.279), RBIs (40) and games (140) while playing primarily in the outfield last year. He could wind up at second base in the early going if prized prospect Nick Madrigal starts the season in the minors. Garcia was coming off a $1.55 million salary.

Rodon is expected to return in the second half of the season after having Tommy John surgery in May. The 27-year-old left-hander was 3-2 with a 5.19 ERA in seven starts before getting shut down, the latest in a line of injuries since the former first-round draft pick debuted for Chicago in 2015. He made $4.2 million.

The White Sox are trying to contend for the AL Central championship after seven straight losing seasons.

They added catcher Yasmani Grandal ($73 million, four years), slugger Edwin Encarnacion ($12 million, one year) and pitchers Dallas Keuchel ($55.5 million, three years) and Gio Gonzalez ($5 million, one year). They also brought back slugger Jose Abreu on a $50 million, three-year deal and signed Luis Robert to a $50 million, six-year contract, clearing the way for the prized young outfielder to start the season in the majors.