White Sox Add Five Prospects to 40-Man Roster Ahead of Rule 5 Draft
By Matt Manetti
Ian Clarkin, LHP
For those who don’t know, the White Sox do have some left-handed pitching in the minors. Ian Clarkin was a first round choice of the Yankees in 2013 and was part of the trade that sent the trio of Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to New York.
Clarkin wasn’t the headliner of the trade, but he has a sneaky good season at Advanced-A. For the season he made 18 appearances, 17 of which were starts, and was 4-5 with a 2.60 ERA. For Winston-Salem, he made three starts and had a 2.45 ERA.
He’s only 22 and does need some more time to develop. His fastball sits between 90-92 mph but he can occasionally hit 95. He also mixes in a changeup, slider and curveball. He has all the tools to be a solid starter, but he most likely won’t be a frontline starter. However, if the White Sox can develop him he could be a solid fourth or fifth starter in what has the makings of a really solid rotation in the future. Clarkin is the 22nd ranked prospect int he organization.