- The White Sox announced today that they had recalled outfielder Oscar Colas to the major league roster. Colas made the club’s Opening Day roster this season as the primary right fielder but struggled to a slash line of just .211/.265/.276 in 84 plate appearances before returning to Triple-A. He’s hit well with the club’s affiliate in Charlotte since then, however, boasting a solid .293/.359/.508 slash line in 212 plate appearances. That performance has seeming earned Colas another shot in right at the big league level, where he’ll likely share time with Gavin Sheets going forward.
White Sox Rumors
White Sox Place Michael Kopech On 15-Day IL, Select Bryan Shaw
The White Sox announced a series of roster moves this afternoon. The club placed right-hander Michael Kopech on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. To fill Kopech’s spot on the active roster, Chicago selected the contract of right-hander Bryan Shaw. To clear space for Shaw on the 40-man roster, infielder Romy Gonzalez was transferred to the 60-day IL.
Kopech, 27, was a first-round pick by the Red Sox in the 2014 draft and came over to the White Sox in the Chris Sale trade prior to the 2017 season. Kopech had a brief cup of coffee in the majors in 2018 that lasted four starts, but became a more permanent fixture of Chicago’s pitching staff in 2021 as a member of the bullpen, where he posted a 3.50 ERA and 2.97 FIP in 69 1/3 innings. 2022 saw the right-hander move to the rotation.
Since then, Kopech’s performance has been solid if unspectacular. In 205 1/3 innings of work across 41 starts, the young hurler has posted a 3.77 ERA and 4.95 FIP. He’s posted a solid 23.3% strikeout rate during that time though his 12.2% walk rate leaves something to be desired, particularly when paired with a groundball rate of just 35.6%. Still, he’s provided solid stability at the back of the club’s rotation. With Kopech joining Mike Clevinger on the shelf, the Sox figure to rely on Tanner Banks and Jesse Scholtens to handle starts in the run-up to the All Star break.
As for Shaw, the veteran hurler was a second-round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2008 draft and was a steady relief option for Arizona and Cleveland from 2011-17, with a 3.13 ERA and 3.52 FIP in 446 1/3 innings of work. In five seasons since then, Shaw has been far less effective, with a 5.23 ERA in 268 1/3 innings of work. He signed with the White Sox on a minor league deal back in April and has delivered a solid 4.03 ERA in 22 1/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level since then. Now, Shaw will join the club’s bullpen mix, covering the middle innings alongside the likes of Gregory Santos and Aaron Bummer.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, heads to the 60-day IL a few weeks after being placed on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation, a designation that will keep him out until late August at the earliest. The utility man hit a paltry .194/.208/.376 in 97 plate appearances for the Sox this season prior to his placement on the IL.
Latest On Mike Clevinger, Liam Hendriks
- Speaking of veteran right-handers who could draw interest from clubs ahead of the trade deadline on August 1, the White Sox might welcome Mike Clevinger back to the active roster prior to the All Star break. Manager Pedro Grifol indicated to reporters, including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, that a return prior to the midsummer classic was possible, but that he won’t return in a relief role and will be held out until he can be built back up to rotation-length outings. Clevinger has offered solid if uninspiring consistency at the back of the south side’s rotation this season, pitching to a 3.88 ERA and 4.88 FIP in 62 2/3 innings of work. A return before the All Star break could give potential suitors additional confidence in Clevinger’s health ahead of the trade deadline, when the 34-45 White Sox seem likely to sell off rental assets.
- Sticking with the White Sox, one hurler who Grifol asserts will definitely not return prior to the All Star break is closer Liam Hendriks, who is on the shelf with right elbow inflammation. While Hendriks initially expressed optimism he could return in a couple of weeks, citing a similar injury last season that cost him three weeks, Grifol’s updated timeline would put the right-hander out of action for over a month. Hendriks has pitched just five innings this season between his current stint on the IL and his recovery from a battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. With Hendriks on the shelf, Kendall Graveman has stepped in as the closer for the White Sox this season.
Tim Anderson Temporarily Moves To Second Base
Over the first 824 games of his Major League career, Tim Anderson had almost exclusively as a shortstop, with a couple of DH days thrown into the mix. However, Anderson has now made two consecutive starts at second base, as a way of getting the veteran into the White Sox lineup despite some lingering soreness in his right throwing shoulder. Sox manager Pedro Grifol told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin and other reporters that “all intentions are for [Anderson] to go back to shortstop” eventually, and that the club was monitoring Anderson’s shoulder on a day-to-day basis.
Considering Chicago’s 33-45 record, it can’t be ignored that Anderson’s temporary move to the keystone could also serve as a showcase for any interested trade partners. As per most public defensive metrics, Anderson has had subpar glovework as a shortstop over the last two seasons, and a move to second base might eventually be required as Anderson (who turned 30 years old two days ago) gets deeper into his career. A team doubtful of Anderson’s shortstop defense could be more keen on using him as a second baseman, or an ability to shuttle between both positions might also boost the former All-Star’ trade value given how clubs prize versatile players. That said, offense is a bigger concern than defense for Anderson at this point, since he has struggled to a .241/.279/.282 slash line over 229 plate appearances while missing about three weeks on the injured list with a left knee sprain. 2023 is the final guaranteed year of Anderson’s contract, as the White Sox hold a $14MM club option on his services for 2024.
MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: Exciting Youth Movements in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, Bad Central Divisions and the Dodgers Want Pitching
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:
- the Pirates promote Henry Davis (1:20)
- the scorching-hot Reds designate Wil Myers for assignment (7:35)
- Guardians promote Gavin Williams (10:40)
- White Sox want to sell rental pieces only (16:20)
- Dodgers need pitching (19:15)
Plus, we answer your questions, including:
- Do you think the Cubs will deal Christopher Morel at the deadline? (22:45)
- What are the chances the Diamondbacks promote Jordan Lawlar later this season? (25:50)
- If Rangers make a blockbuster trade who would you think it would be? Obviously bullpen is a need but what is something blockbuster worthy? (29:45)
Check out our past episodes!
- Marcus Stroman Lobbies for Extension, Mets’ Woes and Astros Seeking Bats – listen here
- Elly De La Cruz, Alek Manoah’s Demotion and Surgery for Jacob deGrom – listen here
- The Wide-Open NL Wild Card Race, Returning Pitchers and Cast-Off Veterans – listen here
AL Central Notes: Buxton, Crochet, Tigers
Twins outfielder Byron Buxton has dealt with many injuries throughout his career, which has led the Twins to use him exclusively as a designated hitter so far this season. However, it seems that was not simply a choice they made about protecting him from future injuries. “From the beginning of the year, he has not been physically able to play in the outfield,” manager Rocco Baldelli tells Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. “If he was, he would be out there. If we even thought that it was possible that he could play in the outfield right now, he would be out there.”
Buxton underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in September of last year and seemingly recuperated enough to play but not enough that the Twins want him out on the grass. “Nothing has really gone up or down on that scale since the beginning of the year,” Baldelli said. “It hasn’t gotten closer. It hasn’t gotten further away. It’s basically in a similar spot. He is basically in a similar spot as he was in the beginning.”
Of course, the Twins could have opted to have Buxton start the season on the injured list and then activated him once he was 100% healthy, but it seems they preferred to have his bat in the lineup even without any defensive contributions and with diminished capabilities overall. Buxton’s sprint speed of 29.3 feet per second this year is roughly in line with last year’s 29.1 figure, though he has been steadily declining since hitting 30.9 in his rookie season. That seems to line up with the assessment that his knee hasn’t gotten fully healthy.
It might also be impacting him at the plate, as he’s hitting .209/.313/.428 on the year. That translates to a 106 wRC+, indicating he’s still been above average but below his own typical output. He hit .258/.316/.558 from 2019 to 2022 for a 136 wRC+. His .259 batting average on balls in play might point to some bad luck but his hard hit rate and average exit velocity are also down from last year. He’s also been struggling more of late, slashing just .149/.273/.266 since May 5. All hitters go through slumps, of course, but whether or not the knee is hampering him will be an interesting situation for the Twins to monitor as the season progresses.
Some more notes from the AL Central…
- The White Sox put left-hander Garrett Crochet on the injured list yesterday, retroactive to June 17, due to left shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Jimmy Lambert was reinstated from his own IL stint in a corresponding move. Crochet was drafted in 2020 and was quickly launched into the majors just a few months later. He’s since been able to post quality results out of the bullpen with a 2.69 ERA thus far, though injuries have also been an issue. He went on the IL in 2021 due to a back strain and then had his 2022 wiped out by Tommy John surgery. He returned this year but is now back on the IL after 10 outings. There hasn’t been anything to suggest this current injury is especially concerning but it’s yet another roadblock to him building up his workload. He has expressed a desire to return to starting pitching someday but has only been able to log 70 1/3 major league innings in his career thus far.
- The Tigers have faced a number of challenges in their rotation this year, which each of Eduardo Rodriguez, Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, Spencer Turnbull, Alex Faedo and Beau Brieske currently on the injured list. Given all of those absences, it’s hardly surprising that the club’s starters have a collective 4.91 ERA that places them 25th out of the 30 clubs in the league. Things could be on the verge of improving, however, with most of that group nearing returns. Chris McCosky of The Detroit News takes a look at the different hurlers and their rehabs, with Skubal and Manning seemingly the closest since they are already on rehab assignments at the Triple-A level. The Tigers are just 32-41 coming into today’s action but are only 3.5 games off the lead in the weak division. Getting some young starters back in the mix would surely help them stay afloat in that wide open competition. Manning had a 3.43 ERA last year but has been limited to just two outings so far this year due to a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Skubal had a 3.52 ERA last year but has been out of action since undergoing flexor tendon surgery in August.
White Sox Claim Touki Toussaint From Guardians
The White Sox have claimed right-hander Touki Toussaint off waivers from the Guardians, per announcements from both clubs. He had been designated for assignment by the Guards on the weekend. The Sox already had a vacancy on their 40-man and won’t need to make a corresponding move at this time.
The waiver claim serves as something of a birthday present for Toussaint, who turns 27 today. Once a first-round draft pick of the Diamondbacks and top 100 prospect during his time in the minors, he has yet to put it all together in the big leagues. He has a 5.33 ERA in 174 innings dating back to the 2018 season. His strikeout and ground ball numbers have been solid but control has been a frequent issue, with Toussaint walking 13.9% of batters faced in his career.
He qualified for arbitration for the first time as a Super Two player at the end of last season, but the Angels non-tendered him instead. He signed a minor league deal with the Guardians and has been pitching in relief in Triple-A. He posted a 4.06 ERA over 20 appearances, striking out 30.2% of opponents but walking 14.5% of them. He got called up to the big leagues a few days ago to serve as an emergency starter in place of Triston McKenzie. Toussaint tossed 3 2/3 innings, allowing just two earned runs despite surrendering three hits and five walks.
The Sox have decided to use their open 40-man slot to take a shot on Toussaint despite the ongoing control problems. Since Toussaint is out of options, they will need to make a corresponding move to get him onto the active roster whenever he reports to the team.
White Sox Recall Jose Rodriguez For MLB Debut
The White Sox announced a handful of transactions before tonight’s series opener with the Rangers. The most notable was the recall of infield prospect José Rodriguez for his initial MLB promotion. Chicago also recalled reliever Nick Padilla, placed Lance Lynn on the bereavement list, and put Romy González on the 10-day injured list because of right shoulder inflammation.
Rodriguez, 22, is among the better prospects in a thin Chicago farm system. Baseball America slots him ninth in the organization, crediting him with roughly average physical tools across the board but expressing some concern about a free-swinging offensive approach. BA suggests he’s likely to settle in as a utility type. Keith Law of the Athletic wrote over the offseason that Rodriguez’s bat-to-ball skills could make him an everyday player, likely at second base.
While the Dominican Republic native might be a long-term regular, he’s not likely to step into that role immediately. Rodriguez gets the call directly from Double-A, where he’d been having a middling offensive season. Over 201 plate appearances in the Southern League, he’s hitting .238/.274/.429. Rodriguez has connected on nine home runs but is walking just 5% of the time while striking out in over a quarter of his plate appearances — easily the highest rate of his professional career.
In all likelihood, Rodriguez will find himself back in the minors before too long. He could make his big league debut in the interim, though, offering some middle depth for skipper Pedro Grifol behind the starting duo of Tim Anderson and Elvis Andrus. Added to the 40-man roster last winter to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft, Rodriguez is in his first of three minor league option seasons.
White Sox Place Mike Clevinger On Injured List
The White Sox placed starter Mike Clevinger on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 15, due to biceps inflammation. Jesse Scholtens was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to replace him on the MLB roster.
Clevinger came out of Wednesday’s start once the biceps pain first developed. The right-hander acknowledged the injury “kind of scared” him at first, but he told reporters last night an MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage in his elbow or shoulder (via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). While the inflammation is still enough to keep him out for at least a few weeks, that everything is structurally intact offers hope he’ll avoid a long-term absence.
The Sox signed Clevinger to a one-year, $12MM free agent deal last offseason. They were hoping he’d more closely resemble the upper mid-rotation form he’d shown in Cleveland, but Clevinger has turned in similar back-of-the-rotation results as he had with San Diego last year. His 3.88 ERA over 12 starts belies a below-average 19.3% strikeout rate and slightly elevated 9.5% walk percentage. This season’s 9.2% swinging strike rate is the lowest of his career.
While that’s not the most exciting production, there’s value in stable back-of-the-rotation innings. That’s particularly true for a Chicago team with questionable rotation depth. The Sox had remarkably avoided an injury to any of their top five starters until now, but sixth starter Davis Martin is down for the year with Tommy John surgery.
Scholtens could be the top depth option. Manager Pedro Grifol said this evening he’s tentatively penciled in for Monday’s start against the Rangers while leaving open the possibility of deploying him out of the bullpen this weekend instead (Van Schouwen link). Scholtens made a spot start earlier this season. He’s pitched nine times with Charlotte, posting a 4.44 ERA in 46 2/3 innings.
How quickly Clevinger returns could be relevant to the trade market. The 30-40 White Sox are reluctant to deal players under club control beyond 2023. Clevinger, though, is more or less a rental. His contract contains a $12MM mutual option for next season, though those are almost always bought out by one side. He’s likely to collect a $4MM buyout and hit free agency at year’s end. If Clevinger is back on the diamond and the Sox haven’t closed the gap in a still winnable AL Central, he’d be a straightforward trade candidate.
White Sox Reportedly Only Willing To Trade Rental Players
The White Sox are potentially lined up to be sellers at the deadline, though exactly how much they commit to that task remains to be seen. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that, as of right now, they might only be willing to move impending free agents. Those plans could always change as discussions take place, but it’s a noteworthy stance at the moment. The trade deadline is August 1.
At this point, it’s not even necessarily a lock that the White Sox will be sellers at all. Despite their poor 30-40 record, they are only 5.5 games back of the Twins in the weak American League Central division. But the Wild Card race is much stronger, putting them 9.5 games out of a spot there.
A hot streak could get them right back in the divisional race but those have been hard to come by this season and the front office needs to at least consider the possibility that they stay on the outside looking in. Like all clubs, the players on the roster have varied contractual situations that affect the trade calculus. It seems that the club is currently leaning towards trading players on expiring contracts but keeping players with more control in order to take another shot at contending next year.
Even by limiting themselves to a softer sell, they would still have plenty of players to discuss in trade talks. Lucas Giolito, Mike Clevinger, Yasmani Grandal, Elvis Andrus, Reynaldo López and Keynan Middleton are all set to reach free agency this winter and would be the club’s best trade chips. Clevinger’s deal has a mutual option for 2024 but those are rarely picked up by both parties.
Giolito would be one of the top names on the market this summer if he were available, having established himself as a reliable and effective starter in recent years. In each season from 2019 to 2021, he had an ERA between 3.41 and 3.53. That figure jumped to 4.90 last year, but that coincided with his batting average on balls in play jumping to .340, well above any of his previous seasons. This year, he’s dropped his ERA right back down to his norm as he’s at 3.54 through 14 starts.
Now 28 years old, Giolito has gone year-to-year in arbitration. He’s now in his third and final arb year, making $10.4MM. By the time the deadline rolls around, there will be roughly $3.5MM left to be paid out.
Just about every contender will be looking to bolster their rotation for the final months of the season and the playoffs, which should give Giolito widespread interest. Even teams on the lower end of the spending spectrum could fit that salary figure onto their books, meaning few clubs would be eliminated from the list of logical suitors. That makes Giolito the White Sox’ best chance at recouping some future value from what could end up being a disappointing season.
Some of those other names may have some appeal as well. Clevinger has a 3.88 ERA but with subpar peripherals, striking out 19.3% of opponents while walking 9.5%. A .275 batting average on balls in play and 81.2% strand rate are helping him out, with his 4.89 FIP and 5.07 SIERA less optimistic. He’s making a salary of $8MM this year but has a $4MM buyout on his mutual option. He has a bit of an uncertain health outlook at the moment, as he was removed from his most recent start due to biceps soreness. It seems there’s no structural damage, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, but he might still land on the injured list.
Grandal struggled last year but is having a decent bounce back, hitting .271/.330/.410 so far this year for a wRC+ of 106. Trading catchers at midseason can be tricky since they would then have to learn an entirely new pitching staff on the fly. However, Grandal is 34 years old and hits well enough that it could make sense for him to factor into a club’s designated hitter mix, especially since he’s a switch-hitter. The final year of his four-year deal pays him $18.25MM annually.
Andrus is also an impending free agent but his interest will surely be muted as he’s hitting .196/.277/.247 this year. López has a 5.10 ERA but his 28.3% strikeout rate will surely lead to some intrigue. Middleton’s 1.93 ERA is buoyed by an unsustainable 96.3% strand rate but he is striking out 31.9% of opponents and getting grounders at a 54.5% clip. All three of these players are making modest salaries of less than $4MM this year.
There are also a couple of borderline cases who could be considered rentals. The Sox have an $18MM option on Lance Lynn for next year with a $1MM buyout. His 6.75 ERA this year makes it less likely that gets picked up but it also diminishes his trade appeal. Joe Kelly is in a somewhat similar situation as he can be kept around for 2024 via a $9.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout. He has a 4.57 ERA but strong peripherals and a 53.7% strand rate, leading to a 2.86 FIP and 2.80 SIERA.
The club also has a $15MM option on Liam Hendriks, though with a $15MM buyout. The only difference is that triggering the buyout would allow them to spread the payment out over 10 years instead of just in 2024. He’s been floated as a trade candidate this summer but he’s currently on the injured list due to inflammation in his pitching elbow. Given the injury, the PR hit of trading him away after his feel-good return from cancer and that buyout, it seems likely that he’s with the Sox again next year.
If the Sox ultimately stick to their plan of only trading rentals, that would mean that other speculative trade candidates are off the table. Many observers have wondered if the club would consider moving shortstop Tim Anderson, who can be retained for 2024 via a $14MM club option with a $1MM buyout. Trading him now would be a difficult decision because it would hurt the club’s chances of returning to contention in 2024 and the return would surely be diminished since he’s hitting just .251/.290/.296 this year. Instead of trading him when his value is at a low ebb, there would be sense in the club hanging onto him and hoping for a return to form next year.
Dylan Cease has also been suggested as a trade candidate but that would require the club to really commit to a lengthier rebuild. He still has two more passes through arbitration to go and isn’t slated for free agency until after 2025. His ERA has almost doubled from last year’s 2.20 to this year’s 4.31 figure, but he’s still getting strikeouts at an above-average 26.2% rate. They would surely get a huge haul for him if they decided to move him, but it doesn’t seem as though that’s on the table right now.
