CHICAGO – The White Sox brought home local product Scott Olsen by signing him to a minor-league deal it was reported Wednesday.

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick was first to report that Olsen signed a deal with the White Sox that includes a big-league option for 2013. Indications are that his deal did not include an invite to big-league camp this spring.

The left-hander is a former Florida Marlins and Washington Nationals starter, who didn’t pitch with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season because of shoulder problems. He was released in May. He had shoulder surgery in July of 2009.

A product of Crystal Lake South High School, Olsen has a career major-league record of 37-49, with 4.85 ERA.

But while the White Sox might have brought him back home, it appears that Olsen actually grew up a Cubs fan.

At the end of his bio in the Pirates’ media guide last year, under the section that reads “PERSONAL,” it notes that Olsen, “was present outside of Wrigley Field as a fan, on Waveland Avenue, when Steve Bartman became famous during Game 6 of the 2003 N.L.C.S. on October 14.”

Well it’s the White Sox that believe in him now and that figures to be more than enough to switch his allegiance.