White Sox trade Jake Cousins to Yankees for cash

The White Sox traded right-handed pitcher Jake Cousins to the Houston Astros Sunday afternoon for cash.

Cousins wasn't on the Sox' 40-man roster in December. He signed a minor league contract with the Sox on Dec. 5. Cousins appeared in seven spring games with a 1.29 ERA.

Fedde's debut

The only thing the Sox could have asked for from Erick Fedde is length. The right-hander went 4 ⅔ innings, throwing seven strikeouts, allowing two runs and one walk in Sunday’s game.

Fedde said he was frustrated with being unable to go deeper for his teammates. He acknowledged that many of his counts, turning from 1-2 to 3-2 counts, contributed to his early exit.

"I don't want guys coming in here thinking it's a five and dive type of game," manager Pedro Grifol said. "That's not what we're looking for. On the way out, he [Fedde] said I wish I could get those two pitches back, and my answer to him is you pitched a hell of a ballgame. Let's build from here and keep going."

But with his pitch count rising (96 pitches) and the heart of the Tigers’ lineup coming up, it was logical to take Fedde out. The sinker was working today for him, generating four swings-and-misses.

Fedde said he wants to work on landing his sweeper and working more efficiently when he's ahead in the count.

Sunday was the first game back in the majors for Fedde after spending the 2023 season in the Korean Baseball Organization.

"When you're coming off a year where you throw 180-something innings and win MVP, you're always going to feel like you can go more," Grifol said of Fedde. "The mindset I want from our starters is to come in here and start the game and want to close the game. That's the mindset you've got to have if you're going to be a really elite starter, and he's got that mindset."

Fedde was tentative in his approach, knowing the quality of major-league hitters.

"I try not to think too much about the difference and just execute my pitches, but overall, I was maybe shying away from contact more than I should have," Fedde said. "I just kept pulling my sweeper over the left side to the point where it wasn’t competitive today."

Kopech in the bullpen

The Sox announced on Mar. 14 that former starter Michael Kopech would transition to the bullpen. Kopech threw 1.2 scoreless inning in Sunday's series finale against the Tigers, striking out three and allowing no walks or runs.

"To simplify things for myself and go out there and be able to throw the ball with a good level of intent and not feel like I’m sacrificing command for velocity, is a good place for me to find my rhythm again," Kopech said on Sunday. "I’ve been out there — nobody wants to say this — trying to throw as hard as I can."

This and that

• The Sox (0-3) lost their first series to the Detroit Tigers (3-0).

• Upcoming probables against the atlanta Braves: Monday, Charlie Morton vs. Chris Flexen. Tuesday, Reynaldo Lopez vs. Garrett Crochet. Wednesday, Spencer Strider vs. TBA.