The White Sox and Cubs made a swap of minor league pitchers Tuesday. The Sox acquired left-hander Bailey Horn, and the Cubs are getting righty Matthew Thompson.
Meanwhile, the Sox announced that right-hander Jesse Scholtens, who made 11 starts last season, will have Tommy John surgery Friday, making room on the 40-man roster for Horn.
Scholtens was transferred to the 60-day injured list with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
For the Cubs, the move cleared a 40-man roster spot for Cody Bellinger, who the Cubs are signing to a three-year, $80 million deal, per sources. The team had not yet officially announced Bellinger’s signing as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Cubs originally acquired Horn from the Sox for reliever Ryan Tepera at the 2021 trade deadline.
Horn transitioned into the bullpen full time. And last season he climbed to Triple-A, where he posted a 4.58 ERA in 39 appearances.
The Cubs added Horn to the 40-man roster this past offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Horn, 26, combined to go 7-3 with a 4.21 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 45 relief appearances covering 53 innings last season between Double-A Tennessee and Iowa. Lefties batted .156 against him. Baseball America ranked him as the No. 28 prospect in the Cubs system entering the season.
Horn is 11-9 with a 4.20 ERA over three minor-league seasons in the Cubs (2021-23) and White Sox (2021) organizations. The Sox drafted him in the fifth round of the 2020 draft out of Auburn.
Thompson, 23, is a former second-round draft pick of the Sox who is 12-31 with a 5.09 ERA over four seasons in the Sox system.
Scholtens was 1-9 with a 5.29 ERA in 26 appearances for the Sox last season.
“Any time you can pick up a left-handed pitcher with some ability, you try to do it,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “He just adds value to the organization, competition. Left-handed pitchers are hard to find.
“It’s another indication of how this front office is working. They’re on the hunt for 26 guys that can go to Chicago and on the hunt for 40 guys that can help us win.”
