5:59pm: MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports (on Twitter) that Markel has accepted his outright assignment and will remain in the organization.
4:26pm: The White Sox announced this afternoon they’ve outrighted reliever Parker Markel off the 40-man roster. Chicago hadn’t previously announced the righty had been designated for assignment, but he’s evidently already cleared waivers. The 40-man tally drops to 39.
Markel spent about a month and a half on the 40-man roster, having been added off waivers from the A’s in early June. The 31-year-old has spent his entire stint in the organization on optional assignment to Triple-A Charlotte, where he’s struggled. Markel has tossed 14 innings with the Knights, posting a 6.43 ERA despite a quality 28.8% strikeout rate. That’s largely due to strike-throwing issues, as the 6’5″ righty has walked 15.2% of batters faced.
That blend of strikeouts and erratic control is nothing new for Markel. He’d fanned 35.4% of opponents with the A’s top affiliate earlier in the season, managing a 1.89 ERA despite a 12.7% walk percentage. That earned him a brief big league look in Oakland, where he tossed three scoreless innings in his first MLB action since 2019.
Markel has previously been outrighted in his career, meaning he’ll have the right to elect minor league free agency. The team didn’t announce whether he plans to do so or will stick with the Knights and try to work his way back onto the roster.
