Continuing a recent run of pitchers returning to MLB from Asia, left-hander Anthony Kay reached an agreement Wednesday with the Chicago White Sox on a two-year, $12 million contract, league sources confirmed. Kay spent the past two seasons pitching in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league. FanSided first reported the agreement.
Kay, a 2016 first-round pick of the New York Mets, is set to make $5 million in each of the next two seasons with a $2 million buyout of a $10 million mutual option for 2028, league sources said. Kay can make an additional $1.5 million in incentives, a league source said.
With the White Sox, Kay, 30, slots somewhere in the middle of a rotation that projects to include right-handers Shane Smith, Davis Martin and Sean Burke. Kay primarily pitched out of the bullpen during his first stint in the major leagues but was a starter in Japan, eclipsing 145 innings in each of the last two seasons.
Chicago remains open to adding another player to the rotation, perhaps a veteran on a short-term deal, people familiar with the club’s thinking said.
Things worked out well for the White Sox the last time they signed a pitcher from Asia under general manager Chris Getz. Previously, they signed Erick Fedde to a two-year, $15 million deal ahead of the 2024 season. They then flipped Fedde in a three-team trade that brought in Miguel Vargas and minor-league infielders Alexander Albertus and Jeral Perez.
Kay moved to Japan before the 2024 season and eventually added a two-seamer to his pitch mix. Across 291 2/3 innings in NPB, he had a 2.53 ERA with a 20.9 percent strikeout rate and a whopping 54.5 percent ground ball rate. Kay’s new sinker, along with a changeup he can use against right-handed batters, intrigued MLB scouts.
Once a top prospect, Kay never had sustained success in the major leagues in his first go-around. From 2019-23, across stints with the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs and Mets, Kay had a 5.59 ERA/4.86 FIP in 85 1/3 innings (44 appearances, seven starts). Before he reached the majors, the Mets traded him to Toronto along with Simeon Woods Richardson for Marcus Stroman. He returned to the Mets in 2023.
On Monday, Cody Ponce reached an agreement with the Blue Jays after starring in the KBO, and Ryan Weiss struck a deal with the Houston Astros after also pitching in Korea. Other names to watch for pitchers who could return after stints in Asia include Foster Griffin, Adam Oller and Kyle Keller.