April 4: The White Sox have formally announced Clevinger’s new contract and confirmed the $3MM base salary. The team also confirmed the previously reported DFA of infielder Jose Rodriguez, which opens a spot on the 40-man roster. Clevinger has agreed to be optioned to the team’s Arizona Complex League affiliate to build up.
April 1, 9:50pm: Clevinger’s deal with the White Sox will pay him $3MM in 2024, with an additional $3MM available in incentives (per Robert Murray of FanSided).
4:55pm: The White Sox and right-hander Mike Clevinger are in agreement on a deal, pending a physical, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The full details of the pact for the ACES client are not yet known, though Jon Heyman of The New York Post relays that it’s a one-year deal.
Clevinger, 33, was one of many free agents to linger on the open market for a very long time, as the offseason turned out to be far slower than anyone had anticipated. He had signed with the White Sox last winter, a one-year deal with a $12MM guarantee. It was later reported that Clevinger was under investigation for domestic violence allegations, though that investigation concluded without the pitcher receiving any discipline.
He went on to have a decent season for the Sox, throwing 131 1/3 innings with a 3.77 earned run average. He went on the injured list twice, the first due to right wrist inflammation and the second due to right biceps inflammation, but still managed to take the ball 24 times.
Though the ERA was nice, there were other numbers that were less impressive. His 20% strikeout rate was below league average and well below the 28% rate Clevinger posted from 2017 to 2020. He underwent Tommy John surgery in November of 2020, missing the entire 2021 season, and hasn’t been quite the same since his return. His velo hasn’t quite come all the way back to pre-surgery levels and he only struck out 18.8% of batters faced in 2022.
In 2023, luck may have helped him keep his ERA low, as his .281 batting average on balls in play and 77.2% strand rate were both on the fortunate side. His 4.28 FIP and 4.81 SIERA suggest he may not have been as effective as the ERA make him look.
Perhaps it was those underlying metrics or maybe it was just a side effect of the generally weak offseason, but Clevinger didn’t find a deal to his liking during the winter and will now be signing after the 2024 campaign has already begun.
The Sox don’t need Clevinger to be an ace, as simply having him eat some innings should be useful to them. They traded away Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn last year as they kicked off a rebuild, then flipped Dylan Cease this winter and moved Michael Kopech into a relief role. Touki Toussaint was outrighted off the roster and Jesse Scholtens required Tommy John surgery. With José Ureña having signed with the Rangers, the Sox came into the 2024 season with every pitcher that made more than three starts for them in 2023 either gone, injured or in the bullpen, prior to Clevinger’s return.
The rotation currently consists of new arrivals. Reliever Garrett Crochet is going in the opposite direction of Kopech, while Michael Soroka was acquired in a trade and Erick Fedde and Chris Flexen were signed as free agents. The club also brought in Jared Shuster, Jake Eder and Jairo Iriarte via trades in the past year, but each has been optioned for work in Triple-A.
That leaves one spot open, which Clevinger will fill at some point. Since he missed all of Spring Training, he will presumably need a bit of tune-up time to get into game shape, even if he’s been building up a pitch count in some unofficial capacity.
Any of their current starters could find themselves available at the trade deadline, which could further open up the need for innings. Soroka and Flexen are both impending free agents while Fedde is controlled through 2025 and Crochet through 2026. With the club’s timeline for a return to contention unclear, there would be an argument for making any of those guys available.
If those players end up getting moved, some of the aforementioned younger pitchers could get an audition but the likelihood of needing someone to take the ball is high, with injuries sure to crop up throughout the year. If Clevinger can find a way to get his strikeouts back, he could pitch himself into a trade scenario as well.
The day the Free Agent Contest ends
He was their best starting pitcher last year. I guess he’s cost came down substantially. I’m glad they’ve added a credible starting pitcher.
Like his approach and that giddyup delay step before he chucks it. Very relaxing
A credible starting pitcher? Perhaps. But so what. Have you watched the first four games? The Sox can’t hit. Did anyone see Fletcher fail to make a catch in right center today? I So much for defense. Clevinger cannot possibly affect the downward trend of this sorry team. If this is a rebuild, it’s the first I’ve seen where the basic strategy seems to be signing players who are bound to perform poorly.
Kind of hard to say which Reinsdorf team is worse right now. Bulls or Sox? One can surely say the Management teams and coaching staffs are horrible. How does Billy Donovan still have a job? When’s the last time he was a good coach? Florida? Egads
Look on the bright side:
– Grifol is already on borrowed time (maybe steal Yadier Molina from the Cardinals).
– Nicky Lopez has already proven that he’s not a major league player(This is a reflection on Getz’s poor judgement). Shewmake will be platooning with Remillard soon.
– Right field will soon be a platoon of Colas and Grossman with Pillar being the 5th outfielder
– Lopez and Fletcher will provide minor league depth.
– Lee has already proven that he’s the best catcher on the team and by the end of the year, Quero and Lee should be a quality catching duo.
– Pitchers look better than projected because of the improved catching and defense.
Still a long way to go, but for a team with an expansion franchise 2024 salary, it should be interesting to watch the development.
Damn I didn’t know Donovan was still in the league. His Florida run really made him some money.
5 games in & you already tearing this team down. Sure didn’t take long, eh.
Crochet not credible?
Brandon Belt is still unsigned.
Must admit, kinda po’d he doesn’t have a job……yet.
And yeah when he signs, it’ll be for MUCH more than the 6 figure pittance I toil for. Just odd that a good bat like his….is still out there.
Baffeling
Brandon Belt can man the bench because we all know he will end up there with injuries anyway
I think my pick will be correct – retirement.
Clevinger ceases to be unemployed
Is it really appropriate to mention the dismissed charge in every article about Clevinger? It was investigated, and MLB took no action. He already was put through suspension with pay, which is more than Ohtani is facing. Being accused is enough punishment, without having it thrown in your face for the rest of your career, especially since the investigation found no substance to the accusation. MLBTR should have a higher standard.
Indeed.
So why is Trevor Bauer still blackballed in MLB? Kinda sucks how 1 was blackballed & other 1 gets a job for same accusations
I guess it’s because one admitted it and the other had no charges filed after an obvious attempt at blackmail. I leave you to figure out which was which.
The White Sox should not hesitate to sign Bauer as well. If anything, if he pitches good he becomes available at midsession to a contender needing starting pitching.
DeepDownSouth it’s because Clevinger didn’t call out the commissioner over the sticky substance pitchers were using.
Because Trevor Bauer is a clubhouse cancer
Because he’s an a$%hole?
Victim asked that Clevinger not be punished because their child would be without support.
Nowhere does it say they found no substance to the accusation.
Victim asked that Clevinger not be punished because their child would be without support.
==========================
Manfred punishes everyone. That he did not do so here is meaningful.
I understand your point. However, to the extent the mere allegation effected his market, it’s relevant to the article as a partial explanation for the apparentnlacknofninterest and pay cut.
Reality is that an accusation alone does have a chilling effect on one’s ability to earn.
Oh don’t mentioned Ohtani on here as he is the MLB do nothing wrong GOD. He bet on sport & probably baseball but Ohtani GOD
Last piece that they needed, haha. No, but hopefully he can teach some of the young arms a thing or two
Like hitting women?
whosyourmomma: Too bad he couldn’t sign with a team going somewhere. He’d be a good #5 for a lot of teams. Instead he’ll spend the season floundering at the bottom of the league. No doubt he’ll be the ace of the staff.
Wouldn’t MLB have punished him for that if there was any evidence he did so during their investigation?
Not if the victim begged them not to.
Doubtful, and even if that was true, is there any evidence the victim “begged them not to” suspend him?
@gwynn Ok, so was he punished by mlb? Oh that’s right NO! Was he arrested and convicted of what you’re alleging? Has ANY pro athlete EVER done anything wrong before?
I’m NOT saying he did or didn’t do anything but some people are such clowns!!!
@whosyourmomma
These conversations always remind me that neutral studies lacking an agenda invariably show professional athletes commit far less DV than their 20 to 40 year old peers outside pro sports.
It makes abundant sense once we think about it. They have little fear of actual physical harm from a woman they’d be much larger and stronger than.
They’ve spent much of their lives in the discipline of sports, which tolerates pain and others aggression as a matter of course.
They live in fishbowls compared to the average 20 to 40 year old, with the fishbowl’s restraints.
Can pros be guilty of DV? Of course.
Do they have the means not to aggress or respond to aggression when every neutral study including those of the APA show that women overwhelmingly instigate DV? They do—certainly possessing more tools than the average man in their age cohort.
Most men can physically over power a woman. Especially any woman they re in a relationship with, most women date men shorter then them an anatomically men have much more muscle except in rare circumstances.
As for athletes “being in the discipline of sports” are you kidding?? Being athletes at their level .are them uber competitive. Many of these young men also are used to being treated as stars and special due to their physical abilities all through their adolescents. Many are accustomed to special treatment and often getting their way.
Not to mention many get incomprehensible wealth. Most people can not handle that type of wealth later in adulthood let alone as young testosterone raging males.
Now I’m not saying this any way as a reflection of Clevinger or in any way pertaining to him specifically. But any notion that pro athletes would be less likely of domestic violence I’d say is absolutely false. Their lives of a pattern of physicality and they re trained and taught threw muscle memory to react in fractions of a second. So the discipline you mention I’d say actually would make them more prone not less prone.
and violating COVID protocols to find said women.
Oh, the COVID police are still out there, Lolol
He and Zach Play, busted and sent home in an Uber to Eastern Ohio. Well just Plesac. Clevinger forgot to fess up and flew on the Cleveland charter until he was caught on the cam violating curfew. Oh well. 2 wild and crazy guys
They’ll be there forever even if no virus is around. Those ppl have hooks in noses
Is this like Mr. Wizard where kids participate in science?
Breaking news: Yosh Kawana caught Bruce Levine doing #2 in the bullpen. Pressed for comment, Bruce said Dusty wasn’t pulling for relief as Kerry hit 130 pitches. I figure it was my doody to relieve myself.
In full force if you live in Sanctuary cities
How do you know it was a woman? In this day and age, you never can be certain.
I have it on good authority that he ended up alone and tucked in a hotel room doing a Buffalo Bill dance while watching cable news personalities argue against the capital gains tax.
@BaseballBrewTown 100 years ago you couldn’t be certain, either. Or during the era of Classical Antiquity, for that matter.
You all are next level. Keep on keepin’ on.
Jerk.
might as well sign bauer & urias as well
And Addison Russel.
Remember when Zobrist sat out months for domestic/relationship issues? I heard his wife cheated with a religious person or whatever.
But I’ve never seen a pro athlete voluntarily sit out months (presumably without pay) cause he’s going through a divorce or whatever!
Ryne Sandberg sat out an entire season due to his divorce.
Zobrist sat out to take care of his kids and fight for custody after his wife admitted she was with another guy. How exactly are you equating that with Domestic Violence? He had to prove to the court that he was around to take care of the kids and he retired. What’s that got to do with anything?
Yeah poor Zobby. Turns out his Christian musak singing wife was less than pure. And to think the fobby Cub marketing guys insisted on trotting out her Christiqn muzak between innings to pump up her career. Turns out she didn’t need the boost as she was a self pumper
Well that stunt did backfire as badly as it possibly could have I admit. They even let her sing the 7th inning stretch too I believe. But Clevinger is a nice signing, I’m just curious as to the timing and why they waited so long. Did somebody dig around in Reinsdorf’s couch for some loose change? At the very least he should be flipped at thee deadline for a prospect assuming Getz knows what he’s looking at.
She’s a despicable human being. Preemptively filed for divorce in Illinois specifically because it’s a no-fault state meaning that her infidelity would not impact the divorce settlement. Tries touting her dedication to her children as some type of virtue when in fact it’s all for show. She also is kind of scary looking.
Sandberg announced his retirement. Different.
Sandberg announced his “retirement” because of his divorce. Once he got that settled, he came back.
Flip him for what?
Nobody wanted him last spring, last August or this spring.
Missus Cindy Sand and Davie Martinez
Carrie Muskat was hooking up with Mark Grace in the parking lot.
Flip him for what?
Nobody wanted him last spring, last August or this spring.
Ask me that in the middle of July when the contenders start having starting P’s going on the IL. That’s when and what.
Yes. Zobrist never announced his retirement. Different.
Isn’t Chicago as a whole a no-fault city. Everyone innocent unless they colored red
And Roberto Osuna.
And Franco.
And OJ Simpson.
Can’t sign O.J. His glove won’t fit. 😉
Oh, that’s the best one I’ve read on this site!
Good one.
You mean Nordberg? All went downhill after Enrico Palazzo let go off his wheelchair and he flung off the upper deck.
And Antonio Osuna.
Is he the last major free agent to sign? Man… a full week into the season, too!
Tommy Pham is still unsigned, I don’t know if he counts as a “major free agent.”
Pham wasn’t in the contest since he wasn’t a top 50 FA. Brandon Belt is the last one who was..
Imagine how his value has fallen
Strip Club Tommy? Yea, he’s not exactly a “major free agent” but he is a major playa. Ahahaha!
Tommy Pham has work out his welcome at every destination. The sooner he’s out of the game the better.
Every Tommy’s working for the weekend.
Yea, you must be thinking of someone else pops, Tommy doesn’t work out. He pops out, flies out, strikes out, sometimes, he walks out, or opt out &occasionally has been known to flake out but Tommy but under any circumstances NEVER works out. Ahahaha!
Tommy Pham had a fantasy team so good it would make you slap yo momma..But He slapped Joc Pederson instead!
Oh unclutch your pearls. To be fait Joc has a very swappable mug
Tommy Pham is taking the baseball season off so he can scout NFL players for his fantasy team. He’s dreaming of a championship this year!
Not ‘major,’ but you can see a bad team hoping Pham can still fake being a starting LFer even after weak 2018, 2020, and 2022.
It’s more likely at 36 a role he can succeed at is ‘decent team’s backup OFer and first ph off the bench against LHP.’
Gary Sheffield too
We all know the Dodgers will scoop him up too. Team Japan in L.A.
As a Cardinals fan I know we have 0 chance to sign this guy.
Wrong thread big guy
If the Dodgers sign anyone from the Cards, it’ll be Nootbar-san.
Couldn’t they sign urias and Bauer and win the division
And Chad Curtis.
Thought he would have been a good fit for Anaheim.
Of course the Cardinals couldn’t have signed this guy as security when the inevitable pitching injuries start to happen. Same with Montgomery.
On to San Diego and Miami, we will see what we will see.
And so Brandon Belt remains alone on the MLBTR Top 50 Free Agents.
He probably refused a haircut to come to New York
White Sox are going to lose 100 games.
I don’t get the point of adding Clevinger compared to using Chad Kuhl / Touki Toussaint / Brad Keller as the 5th starter.
Take the money spent on Clevinger and invest it in the team. Invest in technology or overseas academies.
They will flip him at deadline for a fringe prospect or two. He will eat some innings for them, hopefully build up his value a bit. Makes sense for both sides. Not ideal but makes sense
So teams that refused to pay him now, will trade for him and pay in both dollars and prospect later? Don’t hold your breathe. He may allow CWS to trade a different pitcher later.
The team still needs to attract fans and sponsors, I mean Clevinger barely moves the dial, but since their current starters are really nothing to jump about, its brings some sort of positive to Sox fans. Though he is likely to lose a LOT of games even if he has good stats… Good thing W-L is not taken as seriously as it once was. I forecast a LOT of 1-0,2-0,3-0 losses for him. Especially when their DH hurts himself running to first..
You must admit that the starting pitching has been better than expected. Now their offense and manager are a completely different case. Both are below poor!
Sure, like I said they are going to lose a LOT of games 2-1,3-00, 4-0, etc… That is when Katz and Co don’t leave a pitcher out there to get his brains beat out. I mean that guy is literally staring at his tablet or his clipboard every time they show him on camera…
I also literally laugh out loud when I hear Stony and the new guy talking about ‘;well it will get warmer and the bats will heat up.. lol.. sure, just like last season… I mean Stone is a baseball guy, its got to kill him on the inside every day he has to suffer through these games.
Whoever said that the White Sox management knows how to run a franchise.
Why not
Excellent work, White Sox. Love this humongous middle finger to your own fans. Signing a polarizing pitcher to a one year deal to play for a team that will certainly lose over 100 games is such a dumb move. No team is going to want him at the deadline again this year, so he won’t net a damn thing for prospects. This after a pathetic 0-4 start full of the same garbage ABs and an injured Eloy. What is Clev going to do? Help the Sox win 58 games instead of 55? Is he going to mentor young pitchers on how to have a janky, nervous delivery while becoming one of the most unlikeable players out there? To hell with this team for the constant front office blather about winning and culture while doing their absolute best effort to lose as many games and fans as possible.
Therapy may be required.
At this point Clevinger is the least of their issues, and they need experienced pitchers at this point. If he does well, maybe they get interest from a team desperate for pitching later in the season. Its only money, its not like they traded Tatis for him.
Ember triggered hee hee. I’d sign 5 Clevingers if we got this kind of reaction out o the meatball
I just bought a lottery ticket. I’ll put together a new ownership group if things work out just right
With this signing White sox go from 58 wins this yr to 63
It’s like going back to an employer you hated only because no other employer would hire you.
Except he liked it in Chicago last yr
White Sox fans, indulge me for a second. Question, if they continue to slide, is Robert a trade candidate? If so, do Giants have enough to offer? Just wondering
They should trade him and allow him to be a star on a winning team. Why waste his prime years on a team that won’t be contenders. Not fair to him.
4 games in and the squirrels have broken all their nuts. Sadly the worst fsnbase in sports. If Sox were 4-0 this this trash talk would still be going on.. Same ole haters everyday
Not the worst fanbase, the worst owner and franchise in MLB, except for maybe the A’s. We fans have been abused by this owner for 40 years. 2005 was jumping the shark. We had the team taken off free TV; told the old ballpark was crap and now we’re told the new ballpark and the Bridgeport neighborhood are crap. The owner ran off a popular announcer to Detroit, of all places. I could go on and on with a list of grievances, mistakes that were made, lies that were told. So the fanbase has the right to be angry, even after just 4 games. And especially today when the Braves showed up to play even on this cold day, and the Sox didn’t.
I dunno, but its obvious that no one in the locker room has a brain to tell him to stand there at let the opposing staff walk him to get to punchless Vaughn…
With Robert’s speed he can walk and get himself to scoring position, and maybe even get to third and score on a wild pitch instead of failing at bad pitches when a pitcher is not going to throw him anything to hit. On another team he would typically not have to worry about this kind of thinking, but the Sox coaching staff needs to get some lipstick on this pig of a club and at least try to make him be a better ball player while the rest of the team sucks.
Thanks, walk issues I was not aware of.
Except he looked at 29 pitches on Saturday. So he has the capacity for plate discipline
Well I think its safe to say he must have not been feeling like himself on that day.. He is back to his old self.. even in games where he takes a few pitches, you are like “yeah, finally he is smartening up’ only to watch his next at bat swinging at everything and worse now swinging through 92 mph ‘down the middle’ fastballs.
True, but also understandable why he might want to revert to hero ball. Consider that despite the unsightly 1-5 record to start the season, the Sox were within one run late in 5 of the 6 games. It’s also a largely new roster so everyone’s learning roles and responsibilities. If the likes of Shewmake and De Jong show the ability to contribute in clutch situations, this should take the pressure off Robert Jr to try to do everything, while also allowing him to see better pitches.
Perfect match. A complete jerk to a loser team
His baby mamas will not be pleased
Nor will his f-buddy Lindsay Hill…
Sadly, very few untouchables in Sox organization IMO (most in their top 30 prospects). Robert is one guy who get them hopefully top tier prospects.
Louis Robert isn’t going anywhere. He’s the only reason to go to a Sox game. He has MVP potential. I don’t think any team has a package big enough.
Sounds to me a bright future for the WSox may require an unflux of more Total talent. Best time for a trade. I just don’t think my Giants have a decent package of Total talent.
No
Bet he wishes he took that player option
He will get traded at the deadline
While it least a glimmer for those hopeful Sox fans, but he is going to lose a lot of low scoring games with this punchless team. Good thinking by the White Sox brain trust this off season, focus on defense and forget you also need to have some offense (and trying to rely on the same guys that disappeared for the past 2 seasons)… Do they have a junior GM league that they can put Getz into?
I mean I get this team was going to be bad… but they are starting out (likely) 0-6 (or worse). Same inept managing, both by the overall manager and the pitching coach. Obviously the hitting coach is too busy studying ‘coaching for dummies’ to help his hitters, and the Health and conditioning staff is already doing a terrific job by allowing a guy notorious for getting hurt to get hurt again.. running to first.. ugh.
I would like to be proud to say I, and others, called it.. but man its still frustrating… as this is likely going to go on all season with no major changes. At least we no longer have to listen to Benetti trying to make a joke out of everything in the booth.
The only thing that will be amusing to watch is the White Sox post game with Garfien trying to put the lipstick on the pig (and failing miserably) and hopefully seeing an honest Ozzie start ripping into this train wreck of a team.
Nrd fun at parties since ’77
Im sorry, where did I misspeak? Considering the parties I do go to I am fun at I, guess I should say ‘thank you’ for the confirmation?
Everything this team has done in the last two years just echos For Sale. You have purged the salaries you could and are just hoping Moncada lights it up, so you can dump him for some 19 year old. New owners can come in, move the team to Nashville/Charlotte and Reinsdorf is off the hook.
They definitely need pitchers on the South Side. But Crochet gave a brilliant 6 innings!
Brilliant 13!
SIGN TREVOR BAUER a proven innocent man with video evidence to back him up and refute his accuser…
Banned in 5… 4… 3… 2…
Let’s see if Trevor comments. He is always on this web site.
This is a desperation move to plug the leaking SP dike. The Sox have decided, I guess, that the in-house options in Chicago or Charlotte are lacking for the full season. Or to cover an injury that hasn’t been disclosed to a SP on the roster. Or maybe Clevinger just cut his asking price so much that the Sox bit. This explains the Cousins trade for “cash considerations.”
Wish my Brewers would have signed him! maybe they can get him at the deadine.
How did the Yankees not sign him! Not expensive at all.
They paid Brubaker’s $2.275MM salary!
They prefer Luis Gil, Clayton Beeter, and Will Warren.
And Brubaker!
By opting-out (for $4MM) instead of staying (for $12MM), Clevinger is now making $5MM less in guarantees.
Welp better he make that than be stubborn and not get anything……
I think all these players that are taking the in season extensions are smart because MLB doesn’t have a real answer to the regional sport/ Diamond/ Bally sport deal.
Teams are uncertain and other than the Dodgers teams aren’t going to overpay for players.
What a bargain compared to guys like Taijuan Walker making $18 million a year or more
Righteousness causes lots of problems. The Cardinals passed on Tito in favour of Mike Matheny because they felt he was a greater “man of faith”.
I mean don’t blame the white sox the way they been looking lol.
What a rough pitching staff yikes
Nastrini exists….just saying…
He’s only 24.
He obviously needs 5-10 more years in the minors.
I remember the podcasts that Bauer and Clevinger used to do from his home in the Indians days.
“Nothing could ever go wrong; we’re on top of the world !”
Clearly the team prefers a domestic over an import >.>
Wow! LOL. This dude declined a $12M mutual option for 2024 and took a $4M buyout. He only made $8M in 2023, so he got $12M at the end of the day. Now that nobody else wanted him, how much are they paying him to come back? For the White Sox, this is par for the course. They still cannot hit, just like last year. 0-4 to start the season…SOS. SMH. Oh, and Eloy is hurt YET again. Nothing changes. Will they lose 100 games again this year? Getz as GM was a lateral move regarding Hahn and KW.
Good signing for the AAAA white sox with the hope that he gets promoted around the trade deadline.
Should have signed that long term extension with Cleveland, Mike. Money left on the table.
Perfect. None of the other 29 teams, including the ones that are actually competitive and would probably like to add another quality starting pitcher, would stoop low enough to sign this guy. Only the Sox. It will be completely impossible to trade him mid season even if he pitches great. Nobody wants the stink.
So he had 3.3 WAR last year but only gets a $3 million base salary? Baseball really is trying to get rid of veteran journey men.
The should pay him a bonus for getting a haircut.
Kinda weird.the self righteous indignation. Less money for Cleavinger, less money for his child.
By slamming the father, you are slamming the child’s future as well…..
Hope.your righteousness makes you feel good….
Nobody wanted this man, but us. We can’t hit anyway, so why? We even traded a decent prospect for hm that was not developed correctly by Getz, and now he is running a MLB team. LOL. Jerry, sell the team or move to Canada. LOL Wow cares anymore?