The Chicago White Sox are in the middle of a bad start to the season. They have been playing well lately but they still have this crazy hill to climb if they are going to make the playoffs.
Well, if they start to slide again and are clearly going to be missing from the playoffs again, they need to weaponize some of their assets.
One asset is Mike Clevinger. We didn't think that would be the case with him during the off-season but he has pitched mostly well to start the year.
Clevinger pitching well means that a contender might consider adding him to their rotation in the coming months as they gear toward the playoffs.
The Chicago White Sox should trade Mike Clevinger as soon as possible.
Teams aren't going to trade for him if he starts to slide so the White Sox might want to consider making a move soon. He was recently put on the Injured List but he should be back in no time. Once teams see that he is healthy and good to go, the White Sox should put his name out there.
He might not be the Mike Clevinger that was on the Cleveland squad a few years ago but he clearly has something left in his arm that is allowing him to pitch well.
A team in need of another starting pitcher might consider someone like him as a depth piece. If the White Sox have the ability to add an asset for the future in exchange for Clevinger, they should do it right away.
If Clevinger isn't traded right away and he starts to pitch poorly, nobody will want him for a variety of reasons. That is why the White Sox should trade him while he has any sort of value.
Moving him as soon as possible might land them the best possible return. If they don't, they might regret it and then his contract will be done at the end of the 2023 season.