White Sox Rumors: 3 left-handed free-agent pitchers to consider
The Chicago White Sox have made one big signing so far this offseason. They signed Mike Clevinger to a contract.
He will come in and try to have a bounce-back year along with the rest of his teammates after the White Sox were very disappointing at 81-81.
The problem is that Clevinger is a right-handed pitcher. Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Michael Kopech, and Dylan Cease are all right-handed as well. The White Sox could really use a lefty.
If they were to go the route of a free agent to fill that need, they could consider one of the good free agents available for that position:
1. Mike Minor
Mike Minor would be a cheap option for the Chicago White Sox right now.
Mike Minor is an extremely low-grade option for the White Sox to consider in this department. He was brutal on a bad Cincinnati Reds team in 2022. No matter what anyone says, the White Sox are not the Reds and won't be any time soon.
Not too many people in that organization were feeling good after the way that the team went about things. It was a tough environment for everyone involved and now Minor will be looking for a new organization to try and bounce back with.
The White Sox could really use a lefty and he might be worth taking a risk on if they can't find a way to do better. He was an All-Star and a top-ten Cy Young Award finisher as recently as 2019 so he isn't that far removed from being a great pitcher. This is truly something for the White Sox to consider.
2. Sean Manaea
Sean Manaea would be a good person for the White Sox to reconsider.
The Chicago White Sox were very interested in Sean Manaea going into 2022 but they ended up not getting the deal done. Instead, he ended up getting traded from the Oakland A's t the San Diego Padres. It was a pitcher that the White Sox missed out on yet again but it wasn't all bad.
Manaea didn't fit in well with San Diego and that is mostly why he isn't going back there. They were a great team around him but he just wasn't able to find his way. It was honestly kind of strange when you think about it because he was mostly bad for them all season long.
He finished with a negative WAR which is a great indication that he did not have the year that he was hoping for. When he comes to his new team, he is going to want to have a great bounce back effort as he tries to become one of those top pitchers in the league again.
If he came to the White Sox, he might be able to bring some of that great left-handed stuff to the team that desperately needs it. They also wouldn't have to give up annything for him as they'd just be sigining him as a free agent. At this point, they'd be buying low on him after that bad year with the Padres.
3. Carlos Rodon
The Chicago White Sox should have never let Carlos Rodon go last year.
In 2021, the Chicago White Sox saw Carlos Rodon finally become the pitcher that he was drafted to be when they selected him third overall. He was one of the best pitchers in the American League on a team that went to the playoffs with ease. From there, the White Sox started to fall off.
They let him walk in free-agency as he signed a contract with the San Francisco Giants. He was incredible with them as well, driving home the point that the White Sox made a huge mistake waiting for him to be elite to let him go. It was just poor mismanagement yet again.
Luckily, Rodon reached a certain milestone that allowed him to opt out of his contract with the Giants and now he is a free agent again. He is going to make a lot of money on the open market which makes the White Sox a lesser candidate than some teams but he has played for them before.
If Rodon does decide to come home, the White Sox should absolutely be all-in. This option is drastically different than the first two because he isn't trying to bounce back this year. He is firmly trying to be an All-Star once again.
If he came back to the South Side, he'd be the number one or two for sure. Dylan Cease came in second for the American League Cy Young in 2022 so he's right there as well but adding Rodon would give this rotation a whole new element.
It would just be so awesome to see them do that before the 2023 season. No matter what happens though, they need a lefty starter and fast. If it isn't one of these three, it should be someone.
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