The White Sox are selecting the contract of right-hander Jonathan Stiever, per various reporters (including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin). Right-hander Alex McRae was optioned to the club’s alternate training site, while southpaw Carlos Rodón is being transferred to the 45-day injured list to open space on the 40-man roster.
Steiver will make his MLB debut this afternoon, getting the start against the Tigers. Chicago’s 2018 fifth-round pick, he’ll make quite a leap to the highest level after topping out in the High-A Carolina League last season. That’s not been uncommon in this year without minor-league play. The former Indiana University ace has been quite good in the low minors, putting up a 3.59 ERA with 193 strikeouts (10.0 K/9) against just 36 walks (1.9 BB/9) in 173 professional innings.
Along the way, he’s caught the attention of prospect followers. Keith Law of the Athletic placed Stiever fourth among Sox farmhands preseason, lauding his plus control and well-rounded repertoire. MLB Pipeline (6th), Baseball America (8th) and Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen (8th) all agree that Stiever is among Chicago’s top ten prospects.
Rodón’s IL transfer likely isn’t as ominous as it may initially sound. He was originally placed on the 10-day injured list back on August 4 with soreness in his throwing shoulder. He’d thus be eligible to return from this latest stint on September 18. Rodón is reportedly gearing up for a mound session tomorrow and hopes to return to the active roster this season.
Another lost season for Rodon…
They should have never tendered him in first place. He’s been cooked.
Southpaws Carlos Rodon and Aaron Bummer are each currently on the White Sox 45-day IL list. Both are still expected to return to the active roster before the regular season concludes and potentially by next weekend. To be postseason eligible in 2020 a player must be on their teams 40-man roster by September 15th or on their extended DL. With both on the latter, they could each qualify for a spot on the White Sox playoff roster this year.
Rodon likely back on Sept-18.
No worries.
Carlos could be quite the shutdown option in the bullpen. A Norm Charlton like option.
Rodon does not throw hard enough to be a shutdown option. He can’t stay healthy for more than a few pitches. He will get shut down before he could be a shutdown option.
Health is the key to Carlos Rodons’ success. When he is healthy and pitching regularly he has filthy stuff. Scouts have compared him to HOF southpaw Steve Carlton with his wipeout slider and plus fastball.
Unfortunately good health and regular reps are things he has not managed to accomplish during the past few seasons but Rodon is still just 27 with not too much mileage on his left arm, albeit with a few scars. At this stage of his career Rodon likely won’t reach his ‘Lefty’ ceiling but he could evolve into an Andrew Miller type arm in the bullpen.
Rodon does not have the stuff to be a Miller type arm out of the pen at this point. He hasn’t had an ERA under 4 since 2015, with his ERA and effectiveness getting worse each year during that time. He has not been healthy or very good since his rookie season. He struggles with his control and walks a lot of guys, very high WHIP… there is not a lot to like about his potential to stay healthy or help this team even if he does. His two starts this year were awful, his velocity basically gone. Miracles can happen but that’s basically what it would take. Suffice it to say I think it is a pipe dream that he will help this team in 2020 or 21. I hope I am proven wrong but I think his past 5 years shows that to be exceptionally unlikely.
Guess that random rumor was right lol. I appreciate Hahn finally giving his young players a shot, even if it’s due to injury.
In the past, they would have called up Clayton Richard.
Delete this.
I’m excited for Stiever to pitch today. Everything you hear about him. You have to like. I wouldnt be suprised if he has similar success as Dane Dunning. If he does it will def make the starting rotation more interesting. I can see the whitesox using 6 starters rn until the end and choose between Lopez. If Stiever comes out strong its going to be interesting to see what the White sox do with their starting rotation. Giolito, Kuechel, Cease and even Dunning seem to have the starting 4 spots on lock rn. Starting to make you wonder how Michael Kopech is going to get into the rotation next year. Especially if they go and sign a guy like trevor Bauer or stroman
An old adage in MLB is you can never have enough pitching. It’s a nice problem having quality starting pitching depth and considering the fragile nature of pitchers that axiom generally rings true.
The White Sox are a virtual lock for a spot in the 2020 playoffs. Seeding will matter but won’t be the same high priority as a normal postseason due to the nature of this year’s expanded 16 team playoff field. Seeding could matter even less if MLB and the MLBPA agree on a bubble format that has teams playing on neutral sites and in ‘opposite’ league stadiums. As for the White Sox rotation down the 2020 stretch run, they will want to line up Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel as their top two starters when the postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29th and then determine who’s at #3 and #4. At this point in time, I’d put my money on Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning for those final two spots.
Yep, I heard that Bauer just can’t wait to receive that famous low-ball offer from the White Sox. Probably can’t sleep, anticipating it.
Where did you hear that? I doubt he would be happy to get a low ball offer and doubt he’s losing sleep over it. I wonder if maybe he has something else going on in his life which is causing him to lose sleep. Read that 60 million Americans are affected by insomnia each year.
The White Sox don’t need more starters. Their offseason focus should be adding a few quality bullpen arms (Liam Hendriks would be nice) and a RF.
ChiSoxCity: I doubt the White Sox will break the bank for a SP this offseason. I’d be surprised if any team shelled out any huge long term AAV contracts this winter coming off of this abbreviated and financially distressed pandemic season.
That said, I along with more than a few White Sox fans wouldn’t mind seeing the team take a flyer on former fan favorite Jose Quintana who will be a free agent this November. He could provide some solid rotation depth and be another recent long time White Sox we’d all love to see reap the rewards of some winning postseason baseball after a long drought. I’d also imagine “Q” would be welcomed back by all his former teammates. Additionally, how much fun would it be for Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease and Quintana to all share in a Southside World Series victory as soon as 2021, hopefully after claiming a title next month!
If the White Sox are willing to spend some big cash this offseason on a premium free agent my choice would George Springer. The impending Astros FA would slot nicely into their leadoff role and give them a quality defensive RF to flank future Gold Glove CF Luis Robert. If they want to go cheaper they might consider taking a flyer on Yasiel Puig who they courted last December before pulling the trigger on the Nomar Mazara trade. The production of Mazara in the final two weeks and the 2020 postseason should go a long way in determining the RF strategy of the front office this winter.
Have to disagree with ya big guy. They have enough starting depth with the emergence of Dunning and Kopech back next year (hopefully). The bullpen’s not bad, but fortifying it and adding a reliable bat in RF would set this team up for a LONG, dominant championship run.
No Q.
That ship has sailed.
Sox are already loaded with pitching.
Aaron I like your ideas very much, I’ve been saying the same thing about Q as well as Springer. Q they could get on a much cheaper contract, I don’t see them going after Bauer, personally. But Q would give them depth, which is obviously something they need and that every team does. If they get Q and Kopech does great along with Cease and Dunning, it would be a great problem to have. Somebody can be a great reliever out of that mix.
It amazes me that they can get a guy like Mazara, who might not be a great choice, but who averaged 20 homers a year like clockwork for 4 years. How can somebody like that hit zero homers in a 60 game season? I know they want a lefty bat but I will take a competent right handed bat over a left handed guy who can’t hit. Remember last winter when there was the rumor that they were going to announce having signed Ozuna? He went to the Braves on a 1 year deal and is killing it there. If they can’t get Springer, maybe they can announce the signing of Ozuna a year later. I am sure he will cost less than Springer, although Ozuna having a much better year than 2019 so he won’t be cheap, either. Puig I am not a fan of but he would be an improvement, and would certainly hit some homers and play better defense than Mazara.
I think 2 above average relievers would go a long way toward making this team great as well.
Q is still good enough to hold down a 4 or 5 spot. Sox, once Kopech comes back, look like their rotation will be filled. I wouldn’t mind signing Q, but would he come to a team just to be their long reliever and depth option when he can get regular starts elsewhere? I rather doubt it.
Just like when Grandal was heckled for considering the White Sox.
He replied, “If I’m lucky.”
Sox won’t offer.
They are already loaded with pitching.
Go troll elsewhere!
Very interested to see what this kid can do and even though the Tigers are garbage, Lopez pitched damn good last night. Hopefully he can build on it.
1. Giolito
2. Keuchel
3. Cease
4. Dunning
5. Dunning
There’s your starting rotation for 2021. Lopez should be moved to the bullpen or traded.
5. Kopech
Doubling down on Dunnings! I love it. Maybe Dane has a twin brother somewhere like Nick Madrigal who’s sibling Ty is a pitcher and a new member of the White Sox organization after they signed the southpaw to a UDFA deal this past June.
I like it!
That rotation isn’t getting a WS championship.
Best record in the AL (2nd in MLB), 3rd in team ERA. How is this rotation (add Kopech, Rodon, Bummer and another quality free agent reliever) not good enough to win a WS? They are literally better than 99% of the league. You are a troll.
Not bad Stiever, congrats!
3.2 2 1 3 2 0 2.45
Nice first outing for Stiever. Don’t like the walks, but he did well overall. Hope they can stretch him out in time for the playoffs.