On Tuesday, the White Sox placed left-handed reliever Fraser Ellard on the Voluntary Retired List after adding two other arms to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft.
While the reason for Ellard’s abrupt retirement wasn’t immediately known, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports that he had discussed the decision with Chris Getz weeks earlier.
According to Merkin, Ellard told Getz he was ready to move away from baseball, citing the fact that he had several outside business interests and was planning to start a family with his wife.
Ellard was drafted by the White Sox in the 8th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Liberty University.
The 28-year-old spent his lone two seasons with the White Sox after making his MLB debut in 2024. In 43 games, Ellard owned a career 3.95 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate against a 17% walk rate across 43 innings of work. During that stretch, he went 3-5, making three starts as an opener and recording a save.
This past season, Ellard threw 17 innings with a 4.24 ERA, striking out 22 but issuing 19 walks in a frustrating campaign for the southpaw. A strained right hamstring landed him on the injured list just weeks into the season, and a lat strain kept him out for roughly two months, from early May to early July.
After returning, he split time between the majors and Triple-A, spending most of the season with Charlotte, where he posted a 6.84 ERA over 25 innings across 23 games.
