Reliever and burgeoning starter Mike Vasil had his 2026 harshly stripped away after suffering arm soreness during a quality spring training start against the Dodgers on March 14. Vasil’s season-ending UCL injury leaves an opening on the 40-man roster, so at least someone will benefit from his ever-so-short-lived sophomore season.
Among the currently non-rostered players, which reliever has the best chance of claiming Vasil’s vacant spot?
Hagen Smith
Vasil’s injury presents an unexpected opportunity for Smith: to break camp with the Sox bullpen. Although he hasn’t seen Triple-A hitting yet, and he started all 20 of his Barons games, Smith’s most likely path to the big leagues is through the arm barn. Falling back on Smith’s limited relief experience in college with Arkansas will give the front office a chance to accelerate his timeline while freeing up space in Charlotte for Birmingham talent that will be knocking on the door come May.
Executing as a relief pitcher requires a completely different attitude and approach, but Smith should be able to adapt. While the Sox recently reassigned him to minor league camp, his latest performance, albeit a start, should be enough to kickstart conversations about shifting his role and big league trajectory. He may start the season in Charlotte, but he should be booking a one-way ticket to Chicago’s homestand against the Nationals.
Ben Peoples
If the Sox want to keep Smith in the rotation, then Peoples is the next logical choice. Peoples made the jump from the rotation to the pen last year after three years of being a starter, and it paid off. He held a 3.33 ERA and seven holds in just under 50 innings. Although his dramatic split between Durham and Charlotte seems concerning, it would be unfair to hold Truist Field’s extremely hitter-friendly environment against him.
Peoples would slot into Vasil’s place in the bullpen well. He is a jack of all trades with a high-velocity fastball and high-movement slider combination, which makes him a good substitute for Vasil’s fastball-sinker-dominant arsenal. With a lot of hard-throwing relievers and plenty of lefty options who will specialize in high-leverage situations, Peoples could nicely round out the bullpen.
Shane Murphy
Murphy slid under the radar last season, but that won’t be the case this year. Murphy quietly dominated in all three levels he pitched in. His ERA never rose above 2.45, and he kept his strikeouts per walks ratio relatively high (4.16) while ascending from High-A to Triple-A. Murphy’s ability to stay steady as a starter at varying levels of competition shouldn’t be overlooked.
Although he was primarily a starter and he’s only played three games in Triple-A, it would be a crime to keep Murphy in the minors longer than absolutely necessary. The South Siders have plenty of flexibility with their rotation and should consider keeping Drew Thorpe in the pen while he finishes his Tommy John recovery to make room for Murphy in the rotation.
Injuries create openings, and this one feels too big to waste. Whether it’s Smith, Peoples, or Murphy, expect someone to turn this unfortunate break into a fast track to Chicago.
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