Even though the White Sox are in a better place now, some fans still wonder what could have been with their last core. Andrew Vaughn was part of that core and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. He thrived there immediately and remains a key part of their first pennant winner in 44 years.
But Vaughn isn't the only member of the 2025 Sox to make it to this year's World Series as a much-improved player. The Tampa Bay Rays also possess such a reclamation project. And boy, has he delivered.
Cam Booser had the second-worst bWAR among Sox pitchers in 2025 at minus-1.5. He went 2-4 with a 5.52 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, and 6.26 FIP in 39 games. Having turned 33 during the season, it wasn't unreasonable to think that he wouldn't taste the bigs again.
Booser ended up signing with the Rays as a free agent in late January and looked like a completely different pitcher. Over 42 regular-season appearances, he was the pitcher of record only once and the winner in that game, but that's a minor detail here.
Booser accumulated a 1.98 ERA during the regular season along with a WHIP of 0.76 and a FIP of 2.93. He struck out 45 batters and walked only six. That meant his strikeout-to-walk ratio skyrocketed from 1.84 a season ago to 7.50. All of this translated into a respectable 1.1 bWAR.
If you thought the AL playoffs would finally cause him to look vulnerable, think again. He has not allowed a single in 4.2 innings over six appearances. Although he isn't striking out batters as much, he has allowed only one hit and one walk. His playoff WHIP is 0.43, and his FIP is 2.89.
The Rays' pennant clincher featured Booser's longest outing of the playoffs so far. He entered for ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta and went 1.2 perfect innings while throwing 14 of his 17 pitches for strikes.
Sox fans who look at Booser, no doubt, are jealous that they didn't have him in their team's ill-fated attempt to close out the ALDS. Even if the Sox had him, though, it likely wouldn't have changed the outcome. The fact is that most of the bullpen got lit up by a Cleveland Guardians lineup that became hot at the right time. One pitcher only can do so much.
Likewise, a change of scenery did Booser well, just as it did with Vaughn. Sometimes, that's all it takes to turn a player around.
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