3 White Sox pitchers that could be the Opening Day starter now that Cease is gone
Who is going to start for the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day with Dylan Cease gone?
The Chicago White Sox traded Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres. He would have been the ace of the staff and Opening Day started if he stayed. Now, the Sox have to figure out who is going to be that guy from this moment forward.
Some might have thought that Michael Kopech would be named the Opening Day starter. However, Chris Getz announced on Thursday that the plan is to have Kopech come out of the bullpen this season.
After all these years, the White Sox have no clue what to do with their once-top pitching prospect. This rotation is now in shambles. Now, they have to figure out who is going to be the Opening Day starter.
Right now, there are a few options to consider. These are three pitchers that will get the most consideration:
Eric Feede could make his Chicago White Sox debut on Opening Day
Eric Feede spent 2023 getting his pitching back on track away from Major League Baseball after six miserable years with the Washington Nationals from 2017-2022.
Now, he is with the Chicago White Sox and a good option to be their Opening Day starter. It might not be the most exciting thing of all time but he is a name that will be considered.
If he can take his revamped style and bring it to Major League Baseball, the Chicago White Sox would certainly benefit from it.
With Cease gone and Kopech staying in the bullpen, you can bet that Feede's name is being thrown around as the guy that goes on Opening Day.
Jared Shuster is someone that could be the Opening Day starter
Jared Shuster was a little bit below average in his first career MLB season. He was on the Atlanta Braves who were elite in 2023 so he was able to get through it with a 4-3 record.
He had a 5.81 ERA and a 1.500 WHIP. The ceiling is very high for this 25-year-old pitcher and he is going to get plenty of opportunity with the Chicago White Sox.
Getting the nod on Opening Day would be very cool for the young man. There is a lot of pressure that comes with that but he knows how to handle it.
Shuster was the first-round pick (25th overall) of the Atlanta Braves in 2020 so the pedigree is there. If he can reach the ceiling that got him drafted that high, the Sox will have an impressive pitcher on their hands. Starting him on Opening Day might give him some great confidence heading into 2024.
Starting Garrett Crochet on Opening Day would be awesome for the fans
The Chicago White Sox made Garrett Crochet 11th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft. Since then, he was promoted a bit early, dealt with some injuries, and mostly pitched well when he was healthy.
It has been a wild ride for him but now he is dominating in spring training. He looks like the guy that the White Sox drafted in the early stages of that 2020 draft.
Now, it would make a lot of sense to see him start on Opening Day. He hasn't started an MLB game yet as it has mostly been relief appearances but he was drafted out of college as a starter.
They probably don't have the courage as an organization to let him be the starter but he should. With the way that he has pitched in spring training, he has earned it.
There are no winning expectations on the White Sox this season so they should be doing what they can to see what they have in certain players. Letting Crochet do this would be a fine example of that.
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