Tagged: Mike McDade
Mike McDade Released
Mike McDade is going back to the organization he started with. After spending the majority of the 2013 season with the Charlotte Knights, McDade was released by the White Sox on Thursday and was immediately picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays. 
McDade, 24, was originally drafted by the Blue Jays in the 6th round of the 2007 draft. The Las Vegas, Nevada native worked his way through the Toronto system for six seasons from 2007-2012 and had some impressive seasons in the lower levels. He hit 70 home runs over four seasons combined (2009-2012).
However, in November of 2012, he was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays and claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians. He began the 2013 campaign with the Columbus Clippers — but switched dugouts that May.
McDade was hitting .230 through 21 games to start the 2013 season. In May, the 6’1″ slugger was designated for assignment by Cleveland and claimed by the White Sox. With the Knights in Columbus for a four-game series against the Clippers, McDade didn’t have to go too far. He switched clubhouses and made his Knights debut on May 7.
In 94 games for the Knights last year, he hit .254 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs. This offseason, McDade was removed from Chicago’s 40-man roster in December and went to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. He appeared in four games for the South Siders this spring and hit .400 (2-for-5) with an RBI.
The White Sox are crowded at the first base position — both at the Major League level and even at the Minor League level. They signed Cuban sensation Jose Abreu this offseason, brought back Paul Konerko, and still have Adam Dunn on their Major League roster.
Andy Wilkins and Alex Liddi are two other first baseman in camp. Both are non-roster invitees. Wilkins is currently batting .500 (7-for-14) with four runs scored, one home run, and five RBIs this spring. Liddi is hitting .267 (4-for-15) with two runs scored, one double, one triple, one home run and three RBIs. Dan Black is also a first baseman in the White Sox system who is climbing the ranks. Black hit .290 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs last season for Double-A Birmingham. Black has 52 home runs combined over his last three seasons.
Stay tuned for more updates as we near the start of baseball season. The Knights open the season on the road at Norfolk on April 3.
Spring Training Update – March 5
Spring Training is in full swing and the White Sox have posted a 2-3 record through five games this spring. On Wednesday, the team was shut out by the San Diego Padres, 8-0. Stay tuned for an update of some of the team leaders later in the week. 
Earlier in the day, the South Siders reassigned seven players to Minor League camp. Here is a list of the players who were reassigned:
- RHP Chris Bassitt, RHP Parker Frazier, INF Mike McDade, RHP Brian Omogrosso, OF Denis Phipps, LHP Mauricio Robles and C Kevan Smith.
Out of the seven players, two have spent time with the Charlotte Knights in their career. McDade spent the majority of last season with the Knights after he was claimed off waivers from Cleveland. With the Knights in Columbus for a four-game series in early May, McDade literally switched dugouts and made his Knights debut on May 3. In 94 games for the Knights last season, the Las Vegas native hit .254 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs.
This spring, McDade appeared in four games for the Sox and hit .400 (2-for-5) with two walks and an RBI. McDade got a chance to start on Sunday, March 2 when Paul Konerko was scratched from the lineup due to the flu. The 6’1″ McDade went 2-3 with an RBI in the game.
Omogrosso was the other player reassigned today that has previously spent time with Knights. In fact, “Omo” has spent time with the Knights over parts of the past three seasons. Overall, Omogrosso has appeared in 58 games for the Knights from 2011-13 and has a career Triple-A mark of 1-4 with 11 saves and a 5.20 ERA. He made one appearance for the White Sox this season and earned a victory after one scoreless inning of work.
Earlier this offseason, Omogrosso elected for free agency after the White Sox outrighted him off
of the 40-Man roster. He later resigned with the White Sox and was a non-roster invitee to spring.
Omogrosso was originally selected by the White Sox in the sixth round of the 2006 draft. He’s appeared in 29 games for the White Sox over the past two years. He is 0-2 with a 5.54 ERA in the Majors.
With the moves, the White Sox have 55 players remaining in major-league camp: 27 pitchers, five catchers, 14 infielders and nine outfielders.
White Sox 40-Man Roster Updates…
With the Rule 5 Draft just days away (Thursday, December 13), the Chicago White Sox 40-man roster currently sits at 37. Let’s take a look at how it got there — starting back in October after the regular season ended:
OCTOBER
In a span of two days, three players were outrighted off of the 40-man roster and sent to Charlotte. On October 3, RHP Brian Omogrosso, who had right elbow surgery in August, was outrighted to the Knights. After going from the 15-day disabled to the 60-day disabled a month earlier, Omogrosso was officially sent to Charlotte on October 3.
In 12 games with the White Sox, Omogrosso posted an 0-2 record with a 9.37 ERA. For the Knights, the PA native went 0-1 with two saves and a 4.91 ERA in 10 games.
Originally drafted by the White Sox in the sixth round of the 2006 draft, Omogrosso owns a 19-22 record with 21 saves and a 3.94 ERA over eight Minor League seasons. He appeared in four games for the Knights in 2009 and then spent three seasons in Fort Mill from 2011-13.
On October 4, catcher Bryan Anderson and RHP Ramon Troncoso were also outrighted to Charlotte. Both players, like Omogrosso, spent time with the Knights in 2013.
Anderson appeared in 10 games for the White Sox (.056, 1-18, 0 HR, 2 RBIs), while Troncoso pitched in 29 games for the Sox and compiled a 1-4 mark with a 4.50 ERA. Both players had success with the Knights last season, before finishing the 2013 campaign in Chicago.
On October 18, LHP David Purcey was ourighted to the Charlotte Knights — coming off of Chicago’s 40-man roster. It didn’t take long, however, for him to wind up back with the White Sox. On November 18, the White Sox signed him as a free agent (he is not currently a member of Chicago’s 40-man roster). Purcey will once again compete for a spot in the Chicago bullpen this spring.
The IL native had an impressive 2013 season in Charlotte and Chicago. He posted a 0-2 mark with two saves and a 3.03 ERA in 26 games for the Knights. With the White Sox he was even better — going 1-1 with a 2.13 ERA in 24 appearances out of the ‘pen.
On October 29, the White Sox signed Cuban sensation Jose Abreu to a six-year, $68 million deal. The 26-year-old first baseman joins two other Cuban players currently on the White Sox — Dayan Viciedo and Alexei Ramirez.
Abreu became a hot commodity during the 2013 World Baseball Classic. In six games, he hit .360 with three home runs and nine RBIs.
NOVEMBER
On November 1, the White Sox outrighted RHP Simon Castro off of the 40-man roster. 
Castro spent the majority of the 2013 campaign with Charlotte. The 6’5″ righty compiled a 3-7 record and a 5.83 ERA in 27 games (12 starts) for the Knights. He was promoted to the White Sox and was effective in four games (0-1, 2.70 ERA, six strikeouts in 6.2 innings).
On November 20, the White Sox added an infielder to their 40-man roster when they claimed Jake Elmore off waivers from the Houston Astros. A native of Dothan, AL, Elmore hit .242 with two home runs and six RBIs for the Astros in 52 games last season. Elmore, 26, played all nine positions for the Astros last season. On August 19, he became just the 14th player in Major League Baseball history to pitch and catch in the same game. In 70 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City last year, Elmore hit .299 with five home runs, 30 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.
Also on November 20, the White Sox added two of their top prospects to their 40-man roster — OF Trayce Thompson and INF Carlos Sanchez. Both players had success at the Minor League level and both have donned a Knights jersey over the course of their careers. Thompson is just 22, while Sanchez is just 21. Both have a bright future ahead.
DECEMBER
RHP Dylan Axelrod was non-tendered on December 2 — making the California native a free agent and of course, removing him from the 40-man roster. Axelrod was a solid pitcher for the Knights over parts of two seasons — starting 31 games over that span and posting a 13-6 mark with a 2.58 ERA in 188.1 innings pitched. In fact, his 2.58 career Knights ERA is ranked first in franchise history (180 innings needed to qualify). 
This season, Axelrod spent the entire year with the White Sox and pitched to the tune of a 4-11 record with a 5.68 ERA in 30 games (20 starts). Originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 30th round of the 2007 draft, Axlerod holds a career Major League mark of 7-13 with a 5.36 ERA in 48 games (30 starts).
On Wednesday, December 4, the White Sox welcomed Paul Konerko back to the team and signed the slugger to a one-year deal. Konerko, a White Sox legend, will enter his 16th season with the Sox in 2014. The 37-year-old hit .244 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs in 126 games last year for Chicago.
On Friday, December 6, the White Sox optioned OF Blake Tekotte and 1B Mike McDade to the Charlotte Knights. By removing both players, the Sox 40-man roster (as of Sunday, December 8) sits at 37. Tekotte was a doubles machine for the Knights last season — hitting 27 two baggers in 76 games. McDade, who was claimed off waivers from the Indians while the Knights were in Columbus playing the Clippers (he switched dugouts), hit .254 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs in 94 games for the Knights.
I’ll keep you updated throughout the offseason regarding the White Sox 40-man roster, which currently features 24 players who have spent time with the Knights.
Knights Face ‘Pigs In Game Two (6-9-13)…
CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS (26-37– 2013) (83-61, 1st South – 2012)
@ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (31-31– 2013) (75-68, 3rd North – 2012)
Allentown, PA ~ Coca-Cola Park – 1:35 PM (Game 2 of 4) (Game 64 of 143)
SUN: CHA RHP Zach Stewart (3-7, 5.22) @ LHV LHP Raul Valdes (0-1, 4.26)
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights will play a Sunday afternoon game in Allentown, PA today at 1:35 p.m. – a day after dropping the opening game of the four-game series by a score of 8-5. With a win today, the Knights will be back at the .500 mark in June (4-4) and would improve their Sunday record to 6-3. A win would also make Sunday their most successful day of
the week. Their five Sunday wins are tied with Saturday’s mark.
ALL-TIME SERIES INFO: The Charlotte Knights and IronPigs will continue their first four-game series of the season and will do so in Allentown, PA today. The Knights and IronPigs began play in 2008 – Lehigh Valley’s first year in the IL. Since play, the Knights hold a 21-20record against the ‘Pigs. At Coca-Cola Park, where they will play this four-game series, the ‘Pigs lead the series 13-8. At Knights Stadium, the Knights hold the advantage 13-7.
2012 VS. LEHIGH VALLEY: In eight games against the IronPigs a season ago, Charlotte went 5-3. Knights’ hitters posted a .270 batting average (70-259) with seven doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 35 RBIs. Dan Johnson and Jordan Danks each had two home runs. There are only two hitters currently on the Knights that faced the ‘Pigs last season — Jim Gallagher and Josh Phegley. Gallagher hit .238 (5-21) while Phegley hit .167 (4-24). As for the pitching, the Knights posted a team ERA of 3.52. LHP Charlie Leesman, who will face the ‘Pigs in the four-game finale on Tuesday, allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings.
LAST KNIGHTS GAME: The Lehigh Valley IronPigs scored eight runs on 14 hits on Saturday and went on to beat the Charlotte Knights 8-5 in the opening game of their four-game series from Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA. Saturday’s game was the first for the Knights since their 10-5 win on Thursday. Charlotte’s game in Pawtucket on Friday was canceled due to rain.
PERFECT 10: Mike McDade continued his hit streak on Saturday and extended it to a season-high 10 games. McDade, who was claimed off waivers from Cleveland when the Knights were in Columbus (all he had to do was switch clubhouses), has now bumped his average up to .289 during the steak. He began the streak on May 28 at Toledo and was hitting just .242 at the time. Since then, he has 14 hits over that 10 game span (.368) – including three-straight games with two hits. He has five doubles and three home runs over the 10-game streak.
ALL ABOUT STEVE: Infielder Steve Tolleson has enjoyed a spectacular three-game stretch. The South Carolina native has seven hits over his last three games with a home run (grand slam) and five RBIs. Over that stretch, Tolleson is hitting .538 (7-13). He has also scored a run in all three games. He has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games.
REHABBING: LHP Leyson Septimo made his seventh rehab appearance last night and was sharp over a scoreless inning. Septimo struck-out two batters and has now gone back-to-back games with a shutout appearance. Before that, Septimo allowed a run in each of his first five appearances. He allowed nine runs over his first 3.1 IP (24.30 ERA). Septimo is the fifth White Sox player to rehab with the Knights this season. Gordon Beckham, John Danks, Angel Sanchez, and Dayan Viciedo were the others.
MOREL OF THE GAME STORY: 3B Brent Morel has seen his batting average rise significantly over the past month. Morel enters today’s game with a .282 mark. He’s hitting .471 (8-17) over his last four games with two runs scored and two RBIs.
INTER-NATIONAL LEAGUE BLUES: Saturday’s 8-5 loss to LHV was the 11th loss in 15 games against an NL affiliate this season. Last year the Knights went 37-27 vs. NL affiliates.
Knight Fever 