White Sox: Answering the key questions from Spring Training 2018
By Jeff Shirk
#5 Which relief pitchers break camp with the Sox which and who will be the closer?
All the starting pitching and offense in the world may be for naught if the team can’t hold leads and close games. The acquisitions of Joakim Soria and Luis Avilan was key. Is Nate Jones healthy? Does Juan Minaya retain a closer role? Do Aaron Bummer or Brad Goldberg head to Chicago or Charlotte? And do the bets they placed on Danny Farquhar, Jeanmar Gomez or Bruce Rondon pay off?
The clock begins ticking on Tuesday when pitchers and catchers report. The future starts then. Fasten your seatbelts, Sox fans, the year is going to be fun no matter the team’s final record.
ANSWER – Closer looks to be Jones but Ricky may decide this game by game. The rest of the pen features youth in Bummer, Minaya and Gregory Infante as well as trade acquisitions Avilan and Soria and signings Farquhar and Hector Santiago. The eight-man pen includes three lefties and overall pitched pretty well in Spring Training. Of those not making the cut, Chris Volstad, in particular, pitched exceptionally well and likely be called up in the event a roster spot opens due to injury or trade.