“Vinny Velo” is on the move once again.
Former Phillies pitcher Vince Velasquez has agreed to a deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to a Sunday report by FanSided‘s Robert Murray. The deal is pending a physical.
In Chicago, Velasquez will be joining his third team in the last sixth months and the fourth in his career.
After his rookie year in Houston, Velasquez was traded to the Phillies before the 2016 season in a package that sent reliever Ken Giles to the Astros. The right-hander popped early on, breaking out for a 16-strikeout, complete-game shutout in his first home game in Philadelphia.
Velasquez was never able to reach that level of success again throughout his career, and — although he displayed other quality stretches — his career has been defined by inconsistency. Velasquez’s ability to miss bats comes along with short outings.
The inconsistent nature of his game caused the Phillies to cut him last September as he had a 5.95 ERA in 21 appearances, even after posting a 2.20 ERA through his first six starts (with one scoreless four-out relief outing during that stretch added in). The San Diego Padres signed Velasquez to finish out the year, and he allowed 12 earned runs in four starts, while never completing a full five innings.
Velasquez, 29, has a 4.95 ERA with 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings in seven major-league seasons. He’ll turn 30 in June as he looks to stick in the majors once again.