The Chicago White Sox needed to add someone who could eat innings for the starting rotation.
While the Sox have been getting consistently good starts from young pitchers Shane Smith, Davis Martin, and Jonathan Cannon this season (with the occasional gem from Sean Burke), the lack of experience in Chicago's rotation is going to be a problem for them down the road.
Nobody in the White Sox current starting rotation has thrown more than 125 innings in a single season. Cannon's 124.1 innings for the 2024 White Sox is the most.
Bryse Wilson is a veteran than has experience as both a starter and long reliever. The Sox have been using Wilson in a starting role recently with a hope that he would eat some of those innings, but his 6.00 ERA this season is not going to cut it.
The White Sox also sent Mike Clevinger down to Triple-A Charlotte with hopes of stretching him out into a starter again, but he has an ERA of 8.53 in four minor league starts.
With a clear hole to be filled, the White Sox are now closing in on a deal with right-handed starting pitcher Adrian Houser, who is expected to have an immediate impact on the team.
White Sox sign Adrian Houser
As first reported by FanSided's Robert Murray, the White Sox are expected to sign right-handed pitcher Adrian Houser on Tuesday.
Houser is currently expected to start Tuesday night's game for the White Sox in place of Bryse Wilson.
In 152 career appearances and 104 career starts since making his Major League debut in 2015, Houser is 32-39 with a 4.29 ERA. His best season came with the Milwaukee Brewers back in 2021 when he finished 10-6 with a 3.22 ERA over 142.1 innings.
Houser has been a very servicable arm for most of his big league career, although 2024 was a bit of a struggle for him. In a bullpen role for the Nerw York Mets, Houser got knocked around to the tune of a 5.84 ERA last season.
Houser signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers during the offseason and appeared in nine games for the Triple-A affiliate Round Rock Express before being granted his release last week. Now, he gets back on a big league mound and extends his career with the White Sox, who desperately need someone to pitch deep into games for them.
Worst case scenario, Houser doesn't get the job done and Sox are no worse for wear. Best case scenario, he returns to his consistently serviceable self and Chicago gains an experienced arm that can be flipped at the trade deadline.