Saturday Review: Can Lucas Giolito Become Dominant in 2018?
White Sox young hurler had a solid first season on the South Side in 2017, but he didn’t utilize his curveball as much. How effective can he be next season?
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito had a solid first season with the team in 2017. The former overall top prospect in baseball, Giolito showed Sox fans why he was highly regarded when he was with the Washington Nationals.
Giolito started seven games for the Sox this past season and compiled a 3-3 record with a 2.38 ERA. Although Giolito ended his season strongly with the Sox, the 23-year-old didn’t rely heavily on his curveball. Instead, according to James Fegan of the Athletic, Giolito succeeded mostly due to his ability to go out of the strike zone. In fact, Giolito led all Sox pitchers in pitches out of the zone.
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What Could Lucas Giolito Be If His Curveball Returns-The Athletic (Subscription Required)
Fegan describes in detail how Giolito was able to be effective this past season despite a fastball that averaged around 92 mph. According to Fegan, Giolito bucked scouting reports from Triple-A in 2017 with better fastball command. However, Fegan mentions its best to hope Giolito could get a higher strikeout rate than his 19 percent rate from 2017 if he finds the feel of his curveball again.
Will White Sox Make Hot Stove Splash-whitesox.com
The Sox were rumored to have expressed trade interest in Manny Machado earlier this month. With the Sox entering their second rebuild season in 2018, many fans are wondering if the team should target other impact players this offseason. Scott Merkin of whitesox.com answers fans questions regarding Machado and even current Miami Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich.
Next: No Surprise White Sox Rebuild Moving Fast
White Sox Trade Rumors: Chicago Has Talked Manny Machado, Christian Yeclih Deals-Bleacher Report
The Sox might not be expected to contend next season, but they’re apparently showing some aggressiveness to add to their current roster this offseason. According to Mike Chiari of Bleacher Report, the Sox are rumored to have had trade talks regarding Machado and Yelich. Chiari cites Jon Morosi of MLB Network with mentioning this rumor on twitter. At the moment, the Sox aren’t progressing towards a deal for either player according to Morosi.