The unexpected retirement of Fraser Ellard raises a hard question for the White Sox — what pushed a young pitcher to leave baseball at his peak of promise? DD
White Sox general manager Chris Getz explained that Ellard has interests outside of baseball.
The White Sox were expected to make an announcement Tuesday regarding additions to their 40-man roster. And they did, selecting the contracts of Tanner McDougal and Duncan Davitt.
But within the same press release came a surprise. If for no other reason than Fraser Ellard being just 28 years old and two years into his MLB career, it was unexpected to see he had been placed on the Voluntary Retired List.
White Sox general manager Chris Getz didn’t anticipate it either, but he understood the decision.
“I was a little surprised too,” Getz told reporters Wednesday on Zoom. “A couple of weeks ago, he had reached out. And Fraser, he’s a very well thought out, thorough individual, always very professional. But he shared with me that he was ready to retire. Obviously unusual being that he was just getting his Major League career started.”
“Now, I did know that he is a very bright kid, he’s someone that has interests outside of baseball, not that it’s uncommon. He has some businesses outside of baseball and on top of that, he and his wife are starting a family. And so you know, we talked through the decision.”
“Oftentimes, when players come to me looking to retire –– and most often I had those conversations as a farm director more than as a general manager –– if I know that it’s a well thought out decision, it’s not my job to convince someone to continue playing Major League baseball, professional baseball. I thanked him. I let him know I enjoyed getting to know him and he was a very strong reputation within our organization and that if he needs anything in the future, we are here for him and wished him well.”
The White Sox drafted Ellard in the eighth round in 2021 out of Liberty University, and he made his MLB debut in 2024. As a rookie, the 6-foot-3 lefty made 25 appearances out of the bullpen and recorded a 3.75 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and 12 walks in 24 innings.
Ellard dealt with hamstring and lat injuries for much of the 2025 season, and moved between the White Sox and Triple-A Charlotte Knights throughout the year. He wrapped up his second major league season with 17 innings pitched, a 4.24 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 22 strikeouts and 19 walks.
With a mid-90s fastball and a slider as his two main pitches, Ellard had the stuff to sustain an MLB career. Statistics like expected batting average, whiff percentage, strikeout percentage and barrel percentage rated Ellard in the 75th percentile or higher among MLB pitchers in 2025.
But after two MLB seasons with the White Sox, he’s decided to call it a career and focus on interests outside of baseball. Ellard and his brother own a digital marketing company.
