White Sox Should Look At Pitching During Free Agency
The White Sox are in need of pitching going into 2018. They should look to free agency to add veteran arms to a young pitching staff.
The Chicago White Sox head into the offseason with confidence. After a glimpse of the future, things look like they’ll be very exciting in a few years. However, that probably won’t be in 2018. Pitching is going to be a big area of need. The Sox traded away pretty much their entire bullpen and now Carlos Rodon may miss part of the next season. Free agency seems like the best way to add some veterans arms to their pitching staff.
The White Sox won’t look to add any high-price pitchers to the mix. Rather they will probably add some veteran arms that could contribute and potentially be trade chips. That was the plan for Derek Holland last year, but it never came to fruition this season, as he never established any value. Rick Hahn hopes that isn’t the case with whoever he decides to bring in.
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This team could use two starters to join James Shields, Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito in the starting rotation. They could also use some veteran arms in their bullpen. Injuries have mounted, hurting their crop of MLB level pitchers.
There is no shortage of veteran arms available this offseason. And the organization should use that to their advantage. They really shouldn’t be competitive next season, so there’s no reason to overpay for pitchers. Unless they’re going to make a run at a top of the line pitcher, there’s no reason to spend a ton of money.
The big blow to the starting rotation was when we learned Rodon had shoulder surgery. Now someone the organization thought it could count on to be their ace is having injury problems. That doesn’t spell good things for his future. Sure, surgeries for pitchers are starting to become more common at a young age, but it’s still a red flag.
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Free agency will allow the White Sox to bring in some veteran arms that can mentor the young guys. Giolito and Lopez looked good in the rotation but having someone to mentor them can go a long way. That allows them to learn about preparation and all the nuances of pitching in the majors. That could definitely help their progression as this teams starts to take shape next season.