The Chicago White Sox have some very good pitchers in the mix that are looking to help the team bounce back from a terrible season in 2022 where they went 81-81. Things weren't perfect for the pitching staff but they certainly weren't the problem by any means.
Ethan Katz is returning to the team as the pitching coach which is good news. He is a very smart person when it comes to helping guys reach their potential. Not everyone has worked out yet but there are some things to be excited about.
The Chicago White Sox signed Mike Clevinger last week and are hoping that he can be a big part of a great rotation. He came back from Tommy John in 2022 and underperformed a little bit but he is a primary bounce-back candidate among starting pitchers in the league.
Clevinger is a question mark in 2023 along with Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, and Michael Kopech. All of them are incredibly talented but we don't fully know what we're going to get from them for different reasons.
The only starter that we really have no question marks about is Dylan Cease who was marvelous in 2022. He was so good that he flirted with the Cy Young Award but ended up coming in second place. It was a fantastic season for him and there is still room for improvement which is amazing.
The Chicago White Sox don't really have their rotation set in stone yet.
With all of these guys in mind, it is clear that the rotation might be far from set. It very well could end up being these five but it isn't set in stone yet. For one, all of them are right-handed pitchers, giving the rotation no versatility.
They could make a trade for a lefty or sign one of the good ones but their options are limited. If they did make a move like this, there are a few ways to go about the rest of the staff. Lucas Giolito can certainly be traded and Michael Kopech can return to the bullpen.
Either way, the White Sox should really look into something like that. Their offense should improve in 2023 after a disastrous 2022 season so the pitching must keep up as it has over the past three years. If they do, this team can win the division.