Chicago White Sox: Season preview of bullpen pitchers
Season Roster Preview starts with an in-depth analysis of the projected Chicago White Sox bullpen pitchers that will be on the 26-man roster March 26.
It has been said that the last piece a team needs to make a championship run is the perfect lights-out bullpen. The Chicago White Sox have that potential with theirs. The San Francisco Giants had their stellar overall pitching staff in their even-year championships. The 2017 Houston Astros had a shutdown backend with Luke Gregorson, Ken Giles, Chris Devinski and Will Harris. And of course the 2015 Royals with one of the best bullpens in MLB history with Kelvin Herrera, Greg Holland, Wade Davis, and many others.
To the surprise of many, four White Sox relievers held a sub 2.80 ERA last season. Among the four was a free agent who was expected to perform well, so maybe no surprise with at least one but the other three all share a common denominator which is a failure.
These relievers have never quite seen success at the major league level. The quick turnaround of these three players will make it easier on the front office when beefing up the bullpen becomes a priority. It is no question these arms will be key to hold onto moving into the next phase of the rebuild which is competing.
Some other names filling out the bullpen held their own and put up decent numbers. These relievers have either had previous success or they can still tap into the potential they have been associated with. The White Sox have taken a bunch of really good relievers and brought them in hoping they can form a really good bullpen. It is pivotal to their success in 2020 so we will see how it goes.
Alex Colomé
When talking about a lights-out closer, Alex Colomé is one of them. If he has not reached that status yet is oh so very close to it. In 61 innings, Colomé held a 2.80 ERA while saving 30 games. As someone who has saved 47 games in a season before (2017 for the Rays), with the right team, Colomé can certainly save at least 35 games in 2020.
After six okay years with Tampa Bay he was traded at the 2018 deadline and finished as strong as ever with the Mariners. In 46.1 innings with Seattle, Colomé struck out 49 and held an ERA of 2.53. He was basically lights out the second half. This drew the interest of the White Sox. An emerging star of a closer who just started his prime was obtainable so they pulled the trigger and got him.
But the team runs into one problem which his contract. His contract ends at the end of the season. If the team has Colomé in their contending plans, it might be wise to work out an extension before the season starts and his stock rises. If the team believes they will not fall apart without him in 2021 and beyond, there are a few names that have shown signs to take over the closing role.
Aaron Bummer
About to start his fourth MLB season, Aaron Bummer has to be the White Sox best arm besides Colomé. In 2019, the 25-year-old posted a 2.13 ERA in 67.2 innings which is outstanding. He did earn one save so technically he does have experience closing games. Throwing a player into a high-intensity moment with everything on the line who is not used to that type of pressure is obviously foolish. So perhaps moving forward, Bummer is not the closer if the stars align.
Despite this, he is still doing a tremendous job of keeping the opposition at bay. Seventh and eighth inning appearances will be his sweet spot. Drafted in the 31st round by the Yankees in 2011, Bummer has certainly surpassed the expectations that were attached to his name. Now that the lefty has found success in the majors, it is just a matter of maintaining that same success.
The best part is how long the White Sox have control of Bummer. He is pre-arbitration eligible this year and arbitration-eligible next year, the team essentially has control of him until 2025. Hopefully, by then the Sox won a World Series or two. If Colomé struggles in 2020, it is likely Bummer will take over the closing role. But as of now, if the opposing team is trailing by the end of the seventh inning, it will be quite difficult beating the White Sox.
Steve Cishek
Amongst the big-spending offseason the White Sox have had, a deal that falls below the radar was the acquisition of 33-year-old righty Steve Cishek. Signed to a one year $6 million deal, Cishek is expected to be a set-up man used potentially in the 7th or 8th along with Bummer.
On the surface, this seems like an acquisition made to fill out the bullpen considering the one year deal that was made. The return could be a lot more than expected. In 10 years of relief pitching, he has held a phenomenal 2.69 ERA. But a 10-year career could skew how that 2.69 is perceived. The best way to know what type of player 2020 Cishek will be is to take a look at how he did the year before.
With the Cubs, Cishek showed no signs of slowing down despite it being his 10th year at age 33. In 64 innings, he posted a 2.95 ERA and struck out 57. The walks were high, allowing 29 free passes, but he does have an average of about 20-30 walks per year so it is not like he has been degrading.
Recalling back his 10 years of relief pitching, Cishek has successfully closed 132 games, lead by his 39 save 2014 season with Miami. If again, Colomé is not the closer of 2021, then Cishek’s experience definitely bodes well for him to take the job. Holding a sub 3 ERA in the past three years shows that Cishek is an undervalued reliever that can do wonders for this young and transitioning White Sox team.
Evan Marshall
During the 2019 Players Weekend, Evan Marshall wore a jersey that made national headlines. Sporting “Forgetting Sarah” as an homage to the 2008 Jason Segel film Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Evan made a name for himself n 2019. What did he do with all that attention? He put up a fantastic year out of the bullpen.
Before the 2019 season, Marshall had trouble replicating his 2014 rookie year success and maintaining a consistent amount of innings. Debuting as an Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher, he held a 2.74 ERA in 49.1 innings pitched. He struck out 54 and walked 17.
Unfortunately, he was never able to channel that as he posted a 6.08 ERA in 13.1 innings and 8.80 ERA in 15.1 for Arizona in the years to follow. With an ERA of 9.39 in 7.2 with Seattle in 2017 and 7.71 in 7 for Cleveland in 2018, Marshall was lucky enough to find a team to give him innings.
Out of nowhere, Marshall dominated posting a 2.49 ERA in 50.2 innings, a lower ERA in more innings compared to his rookie year. He struck out 41 and walked 24. He did lose a bit of his control again compared to his rookie season but still performed as perfect as one can out of the bullpen of a rebuilding team. If teams thought the three-headed monster that is Colomé, Bummer and Cishek were scary, they should be shaking in their cleats if you throw Marshall into the mix.
Jimmy Cordero
Another name to find success in 2019 after years of disappointment was Jimmy Cordero. Finally breaking into the majors at age 26 with Washington in 2018, Cordero was not given a whole lot of chances to display his talents.
In just 19 innings, he put up a 5.68 ERA. Cordero started his 2019 in the minor leagues for the Toronto Blue Jays. He did pitch in a game for Toronto, 1.1 innings to be exact, but he gave up two hits and a solo shot. Shortly after, the White Sox were able to snag this hidden gem. In 36 innings, he posted a 2.75 ERA. He struck out 31 and only walked 11. Always tugging at his right sleeve, the flame-throwing righty has shown glimpses to be a fourth lights-out arm in the Sox bullpen.
Kelvin Herrera
Entering into the more questionable part of the bullpen begins with Kelvin Herrera. No question Herrera has had a tremendous career, especially with the Royals.
His two-year dominance in 2015 and 2016 made him one of the game’s best relievers. He followed a 2.71 ERA season with a 2.75. Following the Royals remodeling their lights-out bullpen in 2017, Herrera was named the closer but struggled to continue his success. He posted a 4.25 ERA with only 26 saves.
He did have a fantastic 2018 posting a 2.44 ERA with both Kansas City and Washington Nationals, which attracted the White Sox. But after acquiring him before the 2019 season, he would not be the same Herrera we have seen in years past. Expected to be the dominant set-up man in the 8th, he, unfortunately, posted a 6.14 ERA in 51.1 innings. He did strike out 53, but he walked 23 and gave up 35 earned runs.
It is expected that Herrera will take a backseat in terms of innings with respect to the names mentioned above. There is always a chance he will turn things around and we will get to see flashes of ‘15 Herrera. Luckily for the White Sox, there are still two years left on his contract for only $18 million.
Jace Fry
Expected to round out the bullpen is a 25-year-old lefty, Jace Fry. In three years, Fry has seen a majority of his innings come in 2019 and 2018. Pitching 55 innings last season, he posted a 4.75 ERA with 68 strikeouts. He did walk 43 and gave up 44 hits. It seems the issue Fry has is an obvious one which is his control.
The amount of walks is concerning as are the amount of hits. Fry’s 1.58 WHIP is not a concerning one, just one that could be improved if the amount of walks decreases. Fry’s ability to be used as a lefty specialist is key and probably the reason why he is on this squad.
His best month was in July when he pitched 9.2 innings without giving up an earned run. He struck out 12 and allowed only four hits. He ended his 2019 strong posting a 2.00 ERA over 9 innings in the month of September. Striking out 14 on only four hits allowed Fry to end his season on a high note.
Fry, without question, struggles the most with his control and keeping the walks down. If he can eliminate the number of free passes he allows, not only will he be a nice surprise, but could end up rounding out a potential lights-out bullpen.
Carson Fulmer
Everyone has that one favorite player they have been following for a long time. Through the ups and downs, you will stick behind this player, even if there are more downs than ups. Ever since the White Sox used their 8th overall pick in 2015 on College World Series champion Carson Fulmer, I have had a soft spot for the guy.
After following his journey with Vanderbilt, there were many people sharing excitement for him. But unfortunately, after three years of splitting time between White Sox and the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, Fulmer has not broken out yet. In 27.1 innings in 2019, Fulmer posted an ugly 6.26 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 20 walks. His WHIP of 1.68 is something that needs attention.
Many may cringe upon hearing the name Carson Fulmer, but the fact of the matter is the White Sox still need a long-relief pitcher. If any of the starters have trouble making it out of the 3rd innings, there is no one clear option the team can turn to. The team needs an innings eater to help bridge the gap between the starters and the backend of the bullpen. Fulmer is that innings eater.
Mookie Betts would be a perfect fit for the White Sox. light. Related Story
There are many more names that could wind up in the ‘pen in 2020. Ian Hamilton and Zack Burdi have been talked about. Newly acquired from the Angles Adalberto Mejia is another option. Plus there is still a variety of solid arms that are still free agents. The White Sox, for a team about to start competing, the bullpen is fantastic. And if that is the last piece they need to compete, lucky for them they are already ahead in that category.