The White Sox announced today that right-hander Mike Clevinger has been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. He is starting today’s game against the Rays. Fellow righty Dominic Leone was placed on the 15-day injured list with lower back tightness, retroactive to May 5, in the corresponding move.
Clevinger, 33, is a veteran with over five years of major league service time. That means he can’t be optioned to the minors without his consent. But he lingered in free agency this winter, not agreeing with the White Sox until early April, and agreed to be sent down to the farm to get properly built up for a starter’s workload.
It was reported last week that the Sox would be shuffling their rotation, with Clevinger and Brad Keller taking roles, though it’s still unclear who will be bumped out. Youngsters Nick Nastrini and Jonathan Cannon had each made multiple starts for the club, but both have been optioned back to the minors in recent weeks. Erick Fedde has had the strongest results so far this year with a 3.46 earned run average. Garrett Crochet’s 5.31 ERA doesn’t look nice but his 32.3% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate are both strong.
Michael Soroka has a 6.48 ERA on the year with uninspiring peripherals to match. His 47.8% ground ball rate is solid but he has walked 12.6% of batters faced while striking out just 10.6%. Chris Flexen also has pretty unremarkable peripherals, including a 13.6% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate, but his 4.85 ERA is at least somewhat passable.
Soroka is still listed on MLB.com as tomorrow’s starter with Flexen the day after. Perhaps they will each get a chance to throw once more before the Sox make a decision, but the club now have six starters to choose from with Clevinger, Keller, Fedde and Crochet also in the mix.
The Sox are 8-26 at this point and clearly won’t be competing this year. Still, the return of Clevinger will hopefully act as a stabilizing force in the rotation as he perhaps sets himself up as a potential trade candidate this summer.
Clevinger was a borderline ace from 2017 to 2020, throwing 489 1/3 innings with a 2.96 ERA, 28% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate. But he required Tommy John surgery after 2020 and hasn’t quite returned to his previous form. He missed 2021 and then had a 4.33 ERA in 2022, with his strikeout rate falling to 18.8%. Last year, he got his strikeout rate up slightly to 20% and dropped his ERA to 3.77, but was still not quite as his pre-surgery levels.
He could have been a trade candidate last summer, since the Sox were also selling at that time, though his health may have played a role there. Right biceps inflammation sent him to the injured list in mid-June and he wasn’t activated until July 27, just before the deadline. He was also later placed on waivers and went unclaimed, though that may have been due to his contract having a $4MM buyout on a mutual option, so any claiming team would have had to absorb that cost. It was also reported in early 2023 that he was the subject of a domestic violence investigation, which could have impacted the interest around the league, though that investigation concluded in March of last year without MLB giving Clevinger any punishment.
This year’s deal is a straight one-year pact with a $3MM base and $3MM of incentives. If Clevinger is healthy and pitching well this summer, the Sox would surely make him available in trades given their ongoing rebuild and poor record.
white sox are starting to look like a great team with that rotation
They have been playing a lot better since Pham showed up. I could see them win 56-61 games.
WHOAH hey now, take it easy
They won’t be historically bad once the season is done. 56 wins is tied with the 1970 White Sox btw.
If 56 wins is not historically bad, what is?
I wouldn’t get to used to Pham or any of these guys really. Getz is going to trade as many of these guys as possible for prospects. They will not be high prospects, but hopefully a few of them will turn into servicable players. I fear that after the trade deadline, this team will look even worse than it does now, with not a whole lot of experience on the team.
We didn’t expect the White Sox to start the season historically bad and or franchise worse.
Out of it in early May…. Yikes
SELL THE TEAM REINSDORF
Can’t be emphasized enough. Reinsdorf is a disgrace to the great city of Chicago.
Jerry said he told his family to sell the Sox when he passes. Jerry, why not do the Sox fans a favor and sell before you pass?
Probably has something to do with taxes. Just my guess.
Yes due to capital taxes.
I doubt that Clevinger will help.
SELL THE TEAM REINDORF
What’s a Reindorf?
I guess that’s better than just giving up on the season ??
This article reminds me that there is too much analysis going on in the modern game and not enough gut feeling or beer drinking.
Freud would have ditched neurology/psycholog altogether and joined the new MLB…but probably would be more interested in designing these new idiotic uniforms.
Probably Minnesota.
I remember Mike Clevinger too!
Even if they play better, its not like Pham, or Clevinger or Mendick are building blocks for the future.
Remember that the Reds in 2022 and A’s in 2023 all had a similar record in 35 games? One year later they were a much better team. I expect this for the White Sox as well.
Based on what? — Their “pipeline of future stars”? Their savvy ways is developing talent and keeping it healthy? Their proven record of Front Office success? Their benevolent, beloved owner?
The Pale Hosers are as likely to be successful as the Washington Generals were against the Harlem Globetrotters.
I’m not saying that the 2025 White Sox will have the same record as the 2023 Reds. It’s almost impossible to be this bad for 3 seasons in a row.
The White Sox are doing the “impossible” already.
Also, you ignored all of my points. Contest them if you can.
They have the #10 overall farm according to Keith Law, and that was before trading Cease. Thorpe, who came over in that trade, has been sensational so far. He, Montgomery, and Schultz are all pretty much consensus top 100 prospects, with Ramos and Quero also appearing on some lists, so actually yeah, the farm is fairly strong and deep.
They also brought in Bannister, who’s had good success helping pitchers, and Barfield, who was one of the architects of Arizona’s farm. So there are smarter people on board now to change their development.
They also changed their international draft strategy, going from older Cubans to younger players with high ceilings from other countries.
You are right to talk about JR, though. Sox will need a new owner to have sustained competitiveness. But he can’t last forever, so brighter days are ahead.
I thought they were ranked somewhere between 18th-20th. Bannister and Barfield were solid hires by Getz. I’ll give him some credit to bring people from the outside. You’re right about the prospects btw. They also have depth especially pitching and outfield. Jerry can’t live forever, I hope the next owner is better than JR. White Sox will have a good team and make more playoff appearances eventually.
Sure they are 8-28 assuming they lose today. Buts it’s nearly impossible to lose 120+games. Even the worst teams not named the Mets or Spiders failed to reach that mark.
The Chicago sports motto lately. The owners have to die soon. Maybe then they’ll be good! Worked for the Blackhawks
@Aiden: I think this Sox team is up for the challenge
Could say the same for the A’s last year and the Reds two years ago.
I agree.
Yeah, Montgomery is crushing it right? In fact, 20 of the Sox top 30 are struggling, so the system isn’t strong nor deep.
I recall Matt Clevinger too, he was Scooby-Doos buddy Shaggy, no?