The Chicago White Sox are making the interesting move of putting Michael Kopech in the bullpen. This is obviously something that is a reflection of his last handful of starts.
Kopech has experience in the bullpen. He pitched very well out of the pen in 2021 as the team eased him back from his time away.
He has had some really good starts in Major League Baseball but hasn't been totally consistent. Now, they are going to work on some new things with him in the bullpen to end the year.
The team did stress that he is going to be back in there as a starter next year. Whether that comes true or not remains to be seen.
The Chicago White Sox rotation is looking different from Opening Day.
With Kopech in the bullpen to end the season, this is what the rotation will look like to end the 2023 season:
1. Mike Clevinger
2. Jose Urena
3. Jesse Scholtens
4. Dylan Cease
5. Touki Toussaint
Now, this rotation is not completely set in stone as we don't know how Jose Urena is going to pitch. He was purchased from AAA Charlotte to go with the move of Kopech in the bullpen. He will start for the first time on Saturday.
This rotation is also not the best pitchers on the team in order. This is how things are going to line up following the move of Kopech to the bullpen.
Clevinger, Urena, and Scholtens will go over the weekend, and then Cease and Toussaint will open the series next week against the Kansas City Royals.
Toussaint and Scholtens took the spots of Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn who were both traded at the trade deadline.
This rotation to end the season is horrible. It will surprise nobody if they end up losing 100 games this season as this rotation isn't helping them get it done.
Cease could bounce back going forward but it hasn't been that good of a season for him. Clevinger is having a good year but his regression is coming (he is already coming off a horrific game in his last start) and he couldn't even get claimed off of waivers.
As for the other three, they are just there to try and help this team end the year. Hopefully, they are able to do that with very little trouble.