Key Player From Dylan Cease Trade Has Reached Rock Bottom

When the White Sox traded Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres for a four-player package in March of last year, the hope was that those players would help lead a new era of baseball on the South Side. As of now, injuries and underperformance have prevented that from happening. While each player in the return has disappointed to a degree, there has been no bigger disappointment than Jairo Iriarte. The right-handed pitcher is now at the lowest point of his professional career.

Iriarte's Successful Start To 2024

Iriarte had a reasonably successful 2024 campaign with the Double-A Birmingham Barons. In 126 innings over 22 starts, he recorded a respectable 3.71 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 8.7 K/9. Walks were somewhat of an issue, but his initial minor league showing provided a reason to believe the White Sox made the right choice to target him as one of the centerpieces for Cease.

Iriarte performed well enough in Double-A to earn a cup of coffee in the White Sox bullpen towards the end of the 2024 season. His control issues became significantly more glaring at the MLB level, as he walked eight batters in just six innings pitched. His initial MLB stint was not all that successful, but it was a small sample in meaningless games.

Downward Spiral

Despite his rough MLB showing, Iriarte entered 2025 spring training with a chance to make the White Sox Opening Day roster in some capacity. After all, the pitching staff was full of unknowns following Erick Fedde's and Garrett Crochet's departures. The opportunity to earn a spot was there for the taking. 

Unfortunately for Iriarte, it didn't play out that way. His downward slide continued, as he walked five batters and struck out only three over 4.1 innings in the spring. He got sent to Triple-A early in March, a disappointing development considering the team desperately needed arms after all the injuries they had endured during the spring.

Iriarte has completely bottomed out recently. In 14 innings with the Charlotte Knights this season, he has walked 14 batters while striking out only 13. He also has allowed 22 hits over that span, as opposing batters are hitting .381 off him this season. All told, Iriarte has an inflated 7.71 ERA and 2.57 WHIP in five Triple-A starts.

Biomechanical Reset

The White Sox had seen enough. Just a couple of days ago, MLB.com beat writer Scott Merkin announced that both Iriarte and fellow pitching prospect Hagen Smith are "taking a break" for biomechanics work. The team operated similarly with top shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery earlier this season, and that decision is already paying dividends. The hope is that giving Iriarte a mental reset and individual instruction can get him back on track. He has appeared in one Arizona Complex League since his mental breather, giving up one run in an inning pitched. He did not walk anyone, however.

Iriarte's Trajectory Moving Forward

At just 23 years old, Jairo Iriarte's career is far from over. He was a top prospect for a reason and his stuff plays against top competition. However, there is no doubt that his stock is much lower than it was just a year ago. His situation is a harsh reminder that player development is not a linear process, nor is every prospect guaranteed to pan out. The White Sox have shown an increased willingness to intervene and adjust when a prospect is struggling. We will have to wait and see if Iriarte's stint in Arizona makes a difference for him moving forward.