2 former Chicago White Sox pitchers and a former free agent target make the NL All-Star Team

The Chicago White Sox will only have one representative at this year's All-Star Game. Garrett Crochet was named to the AL All-Star team after going from an injury-plagued reliever to a dominant starter.

He has evolved from a flame-throwing left-hander out of the bullpen that the team was taking a risk on as a starter before the season started to a stud pitcher who has the potential to be a consistent top five Cy-Young vote getter.

It would have been nice for Erick Fedde to be named to the All-Star Game as well. His performance and his numbers deserved consideration. There were a couple of factors working against him including the Sox being the worst team in baseball.

The Sox have connections to two pitchers on the National League Roster.

Reynaldo Lopez will make his first All-Star appearance. The Atlanta Braves were able to do something the Sox could not do and that is turn Lopez into an All-Star starting pitcher.

Lopez struggled as a starter for the Sox and was moved to the bullpen where he discovered a blazing fastball. Lopez was an effective bullpen arm, but the White Sox were never going to pay him to stay in the bullpen and he was traded along with Lucas Giolito to the Los Angeles Angels at last year's deadline.

Lopez looking great as a starter in Atlanta, where he signed as a free agent, looks to be an indictment on the Sox' ability to develop pitchers. It also shows that players thrive once they leave the Southside.

The Sox at least got a foundational piece back in catcher Edgar Quero, who is currently tearing it up in the minors and earned a promotion to Triple-A.

Also, it is not like the Sox did not give Lopez a fair shake either. Sometimes players have a career season, and it is an All-Star-worthy year.

Chris Sale has also shown his career is not washed. He was also named to the NL All-Star Team after he pitched well for the Braves this season.

Injuries limited Sale to 31 games for the Boston Red Sox from 2021-2023. He was traded to Atlanta and is thriving well enough to earn an All-Star invite.

Finally, one of the biggest misses the Sox ever had in free agency is also making the NL All-Star roster.

Zach Wheeler is also making the NL All-Star. The Sox in 2019 showed a willingness to spend money when they offered Wheeler more money.

He preferred to stay on the East Coast, and it was another free-agent miss that offseason when the Sox also tried to sign Manny Machado. The problem for the Sox was they offered the most money to Manny, but not the most guarantees.

In the case of Wheeler, the Sox offered the most money, they just could not physically move Chicago closer to the Atlantic.

Seeing those three pitchers throw for the National League will serve as a reminder of what could have been.

Maybe the Sox find a way to beat the Houston Astros in 2021 with Wheeler in the rotation. The Sox could have given Lopez another shot at starting last season instead of a foolhardy plan to make him a closer. It is still mind-boggling that the Sox could never build a winner around Chris Sale.