White Sox could answer starting rotation question with surprising internal candidate

With just under a week to go until Spring Training begins, the White Sox have some unanswered questions about their pitching staff. The bullpen picture has begun to take shape after the recent acquisitions of Seranthony Dominguez and Jordan Hicks. 2025 all-star Shane Smith is set to anchor the starting rotation, with veteran Davis Martin and newly signed Anthony Kay expected to fall in behind him. Beyond those top three, however, the bottom of the White Sox rotation remains a bit of a mystery. A podcast interview earlier this week may have shed some light on the White Sox plans for the spots.

During an interview on the Baseball Isn’t Boring Podcast earlier this week, White Sox righty Mike Vasil, who posted a 2.50 ERA in 101 innings in 2025, indicated that he’s been told he’s going to be competing for a starting spot in Spring Training. 

“So I talked to Will and Zach Bove- our new pitching coach,” Vasil said. “So I know I’m gonna be going into camp as a starter competing for a starting role. They told me that, which I think is a great opportunity.” 

Mike Vasil quickly became a workhorse in the 2025 White Sox bullpen

Vasil was one of the more dependable arms in the White Sox bullpen last season, but came up through the minor leagues as a starter, 73 of his 76 appearances in the minor leagues were starts, and he did start three games for the White Sox last season. Vasil’s track record as a starter is inconsistent. He posted a 3.53 during the 2022 season across three levels, but his numbers got progressively worse, culminating in a 6.04 ERA in 134 innings in 2024 which led to his departure in the Rule 5 draft and move to the bullpen. 

Vasil certainly has the deep arsenal required of a starting pitcher. He threw six different pitches during the 2025 season, led by a sinker that helped him generate a 50.7% ground ball rate and was the key to his success. His walk rate is a clear area for him to improve, and better control could also help improve on his 23% chase rate, which ranked near the bottom of the league. Otherwise, the key will be consistency for Vasil, who could have upside as a backend starter with the stuff he has. 

The White Sox, without a clear answer at the back of their rotation, seem to be open-minded entering Spring Training. Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon, Sean Newcomb, Tanner McDougal, Duncan Davitt, David Sandlin, and others are all expected to be given the chance to compete for a rotation spot in camp. It's far from a sure thing, but the White Sox hope one or more of these players will have a Shane Smith-type spring and forces the issue. While there’s no harm in giving players motivation and having options, the White Sox would be better off capping their offseason by adding one more starting pitcher than relying on inexperienced young players to get them through a long season. A surprisingly slow market has left more options available than anticipated, and the White Sox could be in a good position to capitalize. 

Each of the past two seasons have featured starting rotation surprises for the White Sox, so another could be in line for 2026. Could last year’s most valuable reliever be part of the solution in the rotation? Only time will tell.