Jordan Luplow (who else?) sends the White Sox into second place

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The White Sox and Cleveland Indians were tied, 2-2, in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday.

There was one out, nobody on base, and Sox left-hander Gio Gonzalez was behind in the count, 3-0, to noted Sox killer and lefty masher Jordan Luplow.

I said to my girlfriend, "He better not lay one in here, because he's going to be swinging." Half a heartbeat after the words left my mouth, the Indians were 3-2 winners, and the Sox are in second place after their fourth consecutive loss.

Gonzalez tossed a 90.7 mph fastball over the heart of home plate. Luplow hit a no-doubter to left field. 

Why I knew he was swinging and the Sox did not, I'm not sure. Cleveland manager Terry Francona is not with the team because of health problems, but his influence remains -- Francona has always been a proponent of swinging at 3-0 pitches, dating back to his days in Boston. You have to be aware of that as an opponent.

And Gonzalez is just the sort of pitcher who keeps Luplow in the majors. Take a look at Luplow's career splits:

vs. LHP: .278/.384/.601

vs. RHP: .193/.278/.313

So, you're talking about nearly 400 points of OPS, .985 against lefties and .591 against righties. Eighteen of Luplow's 23 career homers have come against left-handed pitchers. That's a dangerous situation for Gonzalez, and being the veteran he is, he should have known better than to give in.

And, oh yeah, seven of those 23 home runs have come against the Sox. Both of Luplow's homers this year have come against Chicago. Enough of this guy, already.

It's too bad the Sox lost this one, because Lucas Giolito had a good outing. He worked six innings with 11 strikeouts and limited Cleveland to two runs. He came pretty close to matching Indians ace Shane Bieber, who gave up one run over five innings.

Garrett Crochet pitched on back-to-back days for the first time in his career, and he worked a spotless seventh inning with two strikeouts. Codi Heuer delivered a scoreless eighth, pitching around a Nick Madrigal error. I was impressed that Heuer was effective after pitching two innings in Tuesday's game.

These two rookie relievers have earned the right to pitch in high-leverage spots in the playoffs next week. That's the one positive we can pull from this stretch of bad ball that has seen the Sox drop five out of six and fall a half-game behind the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

Sox hitters were limited to four hits Wednesday. One was a triple by Yoan Moncada, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Jose Abreu to tie the game at 2 in the eighth inning. But even with that triple, Moncada has two hits in his last 33 at-bats.

And Luis Robert is now 0-for-his-last-28 with 15 strikeouts. James McCann was 0 for 4 with four strikeouts in this game. He is 6 for 37 with 15 strikeouts in September.

Cold bats all around.

The White Sox are 4-0 when Dane Dunning starts

Dane Dunning

The White Sox have won all four games Dane Dunning has started this season, and the rookie right-hander got his first major league win Wednesday, as the Sox bounced back from Tuesday's debacle with an 8-1 win over the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates.

Dunning had an efficient outing. He needed only 76 pitches to get through six innings. He gave up a leadoff double two pitches into the seventh, and that ended his night. Gio Gonzalez stranded the inherited runner to keep Dunning's outing scoreless. 

His final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 Ks, 1 BB and 51 strikes on 78 pitches. 

Anytime a pitcher throws 65% of his pitches for strikes, we'll take it. And Dunning's outing saved the bullpen, too. Gonzalez allowed one run over two innings, and Steve Cishek mopped up in the ninth.

It was nice to see the Sox win a game without having to use Jimmy Cordero, Evan Marshall or Alex Colome.

James McCann had his first career multihomer game and totaled four RBIs. Yoan Moncada also had two hits for the second straight game. Nick Madrigal's two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded in the top of the fourth was the key hit, taking a 3-0 Sox lead to 5-0.

The Sox stand at 27-16, one game ahead of both the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins heading into Thursday's off day.

I'm not sold on this Sox team as a legitimate contender, because I don't think their run prevention is good enough. But here's where the clear progress has occurred: They continue to kick the crap out of bad teams. 

The Sox are a combined 18-3 against the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates. There are still three more games with the Tigers; those will be this weekend at Guaranteed Rate Field.

After that, the Twins come to Chicago, and we'll see if the Sox are able to win a series against one of their chief division rivals for the first time this year.

Going back to Dunning, his next start figures to be against Minnesota. I'm interested to see how he fares. He's proven he can slay the bums, just like the team as a whole. The biggest tests are still ahead.

Pitching depth continues to erode for White Sox

Remember before the season when fans and media thought the White Sox could use a six-man starting rotation?

That was fun while it lasted, right?

I guess it wasn't completely ridiculous at the time. Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dylan Cease are holdovers from last year. Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez were brought in as free agents. And with the pandemic pause, that bought time for Carlos Rodon, Michael Kopech, Jimmy Lambert and Dane Dunning to recover from Tommy John surgery.

That's nine pitchers, and at least seven of them are legitimate options. But then Kopech opted out of the season. Lopez got hurt in the first inning of his first start. And now Lambert is headed to the injured list with a strained forearm.

It's too bad, too, because Lambert surprisingly made the 30-man roster and was unscored upon in two relief appearances so far this season. While others have looked suspect, he has pitched well.

That list of nine starting options is now down to six. It's Giolito, Keuchel, Gonzalez, Cease and Rodon, with Dunning serving as backup at the Sox's alternate training site in Schaumburg.

The Sox (2-4) will start a three-game series in Kansas City against the Royals (3-4) on Friday night. Here are your pitching probables:

Friday, 7:05 p.m.: Keuchel (1-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Kris Bubic
Saturday, 6:05 p.m.: Gonzalez (0-0, 14.73 ERA) vs. TBA
Sunday, 1:05 p.m.: Cease (0-1, 15.43 ERA) vs. TBA

I guess that wasn't real helpful, was it? Well, at least we know the plan for the Sox.

When a 9-2 loss is actually a win ...

Michael Kopech

It was disappointing that the White Sox were rained out Wednesday. The Sox were supposed to play the Colorado Rockies in Cactus League action, and Lucas Giolito, Gio Gonzalez and Jace Fry were all scheduled to pitch.

Each of those three pitchers is coming back from an injury that sidelined them during the early part of camp, and I was eager to see how close they would look to being ready to start the season.

Alas, Mother Nature had other plans.

But, speaking of returns from injury, how about Michael Kopech on Tuesday? Sure, the Sox lost, 9-2, to the Texas Rangers, but it was actually an encouraging day for the South Siders and their fans.

That's because Kopech looked like he did before his elbow injury. He needed only 11 pitches to work a 1-2-3 first inning. His fastball consistently hit 98 mph-plus on the radar gun, and his heater topped out at 101 mph -- his final pitch striking out Greg Bird looking.

After missing the zone on each of his first two pitches, Kopech fired seven of his final nine over the plate and ended the inning quickly.

Kopech admitted that "adrenaline was a factor" with the high velocity, but hey, at least we know it's still there after surgery. It will be an exciting time when Kopech returns to the mound at Guaranteed Rate Field for the first time since 2018.

Dallas Keuchel feels 'phenomenal.' Jace Fry, not so much.

Dallas Keuchel

Dylan Cease is the only member of the White Sox's projected starting rotation to appear in a spring training game thus far.

Reynaldo Lopez had his start Feb. 22 against the Los Angeles Angels rained out. Lucas Giolito is nursing a minor chest strain, and Gio Gonzalez is being held back because of shoulder discomfort.

Free agent acquisition Dallas Keuchel? Well, he's feeling "phenomenal," according to this report from MLB.com's Scott Merkin.

Keuchel's day to pitch was Wednesday, but the Sox were scheduled to face an American League Central rival in the Kansas City Royals. Rather than allow the Royals to get a live look at Keuchel before the actual games begin, the Sox started organizational pitcher Matt Tomshaw and had Keuchel throw a live bullpen session on the back fields at Camelback Ranch.

The report says Keuchel "got up and down three times," which is a fancy way to say he threw the equivalent of three innings. Keuchel says he's throwing his breaking ball more now than he has at this same time in previous years.

Frankly, I'm wishing for some televised games, so we could get a look at some of these guys ourselves.

Fry dealing with back strain

Jace Fry, projected to be the second left-hander in the Sox's bullpen, is sidelined by back soreness. The issue is said to be minor.

If that injury ends up lingering, it could open the door for nonroster invitee Adalberto Mejia to make the roster. Mejia tossed a scoreless inning Thursday in a 6-5 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Mejia has 62 games of MLB experience, including 25 starts, all with the Minnesota Twins. Actually, Mejia may be a candidate for the eighth spot in the bullpen, even if Fry is healthy. The Sox need a guy who can work multiple innings in long relief, and well, Mejia may be able to do that job better than Carson Fulmer.

That's one of the roster battles playing out as the spring progresses.

Carlos Rodon as a reliever? He doesn't think so ...

Carlos Rodon

White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon doesn't have a reputation for durability. While he has quality pitches and his results have been respectable, the five-year veteran has never made more than 28 starts in a season.

And in the past three seasons, Rodon has not made more than 20 starts. In 2019, the former first-round pick made only seven starts before injuring his left elbow, requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery.

That means Rodon won't be available until the second half of this season in the best-case scenario. The Sox have planned accordingly. With Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, Reynaldo Lopez, Gio Gonzalez and Dylan Cease projected as the Opening Day rotation -- and Michael Kopech likely to push for a spot sooner rather than later -- there doesn't appear to be any room for Rodon, even if he makes a healthy return come July or August.

Does that mean Rodon is destined for the bullpen? With his velocity and outstanding slider, those two pitches could play nicely in the late innings. However, the pitcher doesn't see himself in that role.

“In my heart, I think I’m a starter,” Rodon told MLB.com's Scott Merkin. “I’m not a bullpen arm. Yeah, I could throw 100 mph, but I’m not a bullpen arm. I know I can be a starter. I’ve shown it in the past. Yes, I haven’t been as durable as I can be, but people have seen me eat eight, nine innings.

“So, why would you take that away from me when you know I can throw? I know this sounds kind of arrogant, going into the eighth inning, you know I throw 98 mph. I think the White Sox think the same way.”

Rodon also indicated he has no intention of stepping aside and conceding a rotation spot to any of his teammates.

“This is not a jab at any of my teammates, but I hope to God they know I’m coming. It’s a competition,” Rodon told Merkin. “Whoever is best is going to have the job.

“That’s a statement to boost my teammates. I don’t want my job taken away. But just know that I’m right here and I’m going to come back, and I’m coming back for my job. I know it’s not going to be handed to me, but I’m coming for it.”

Actually, I commend Rodon for this attitude, and I am pulling for him to make a full recovery and be the pitcher he was drafted to be. For a long time, I've longed for the Sox to have competition for spots in the starting rotation.

Take Lopez, as an example. He had a terrible 2019, and there were times he probably deserved to be demoted to the bullpen, and manager Rick Renteria at times questioned Lopez's focus. However, Lopez remained in the rotation because there was nobody else who could conceivably take his spot.

When that happens, guys are maybe a little bit too comfortable. When you've got five rotation spots, and only two or three guys who are worth a damn, that's a serious problem.

But when you've got seven guys battling for five spots, and all seem like reasonable options, that's actually not a problem at all. That's exactly the scenario you want.

I hope Rodon backs up these words and pushes hard to get his job in the rotation back. That would be a terrific development for the Sox.

White Sox sign left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel to three-year contract

Dallas Keuchel

The White Sox on Saturday moved to boost their starting rotation, agreeing to terms with left-hander Dallas Keuchel on a three-year, $55 million contract, according to reports.

The deal includes a vesting option for a fourth season that could take the value of the contract up to $74 million.

Keuchel, 31, won the Cy Young Award in 2015 as a member of the Houston Astros, and he helped that franchise win its only World Series title in 2017. He had a strange season in 2019 -- he was a free agent last offseason, but signed late with the Atlanta Braves, and he didn't pitch until June.

He compiled an 8-8 record with a 3.75 ERA in 19 starts and 112.1 innings pitched. He struck out 91, walked 39 and posted a 1.367 WHIP.

This signing is interesting. Keuchel was once an ace, but he's not anymore, but then again he's not being paid like an ace. For actual ace contracts, see Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg. He's being paid like a stabilizing, mid-rotation veteran, and the hope is he can pitch like a stabilizing, mid-rotation veteran. Keuchel has three 200-plus inning seasons in his past, and he will be the only member of the Sox pitching staff to have ever reached the 200-inning threshold.

Here's how the rotation may look when the season starts:
1. Lucas Giolito
2. Keuchel
3. Reynaldo Lopez
4. Dylan Cease
5. Gio Gonzalez

And let's not forget, Michael Kopech is healthy and will join the rotation at some point.

The concern about Keuchel would be his age. At 31, his best season (2015) is five years in the past. He isn't going to go 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA again. He doesn't have the velocity that the stats guys love -- you're going to be seeing a lot of 87 mph sinkers. And it is true that Keuchel was not the Sox's top choice. That was Zack Wheeler, who signed a five-year deal with Philadelphia.

However, consider these things about Keuchel: He has compiled a 121 ERA+ over the past three seasons. That means he's been 21 percent better than league average over that time, and it's notable that these numbers DO NOT include his Cy Young season of 2015. He's also been healthy, knock on wood. There's only been one stint on the injured list in the past seven years, and that was for a pinched nerve in his neck. Keuchel has never missed time because of a shoulder or elbow problem. And Keuchel had a 60.1 groundball rate last season -- that's the best in baseball for any pitcher who threw more than 110 innings.

Now, whether the Sox infield can catch all those groundballs, that's a matter of debate. But I think that number demonstrates that Keuchel can still be an effective starter for the Sox, and I don't think three years and about $18 million per is an overpay at all -- especially when you consider what aces are receiving in the current marketplace.

Perhaps most importantly, this addition -- and the addition of Gonzalez -- sends pitchers such as Dylan Covey, Carson Fulmer and Ross Detwiler to the back of the line in terms of rotation options. Even if you don't care for these two additions, Keuchel and Gonzalez have a floor that is higher than the ceilings of pitchers such as Covey and Detwiler. At minimum, the Sox have made incremental progress here.

White Sox reportedly adding Gio Gonzalez, Cheslor Cuthbert

Gio Gonzalez

The White Sox on Thursday agreed to contracts with left-handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez and infielder Cheslor Cuthbert, according to reports.

MLB.com is saying we don't know the terms on the Gonzalez deal as yet, because the Sox have not confirmed the move.

Gonzalez, 34, appeared in 19 games (17 starts) with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019, going 3-2 with a 3.50 ERA and 1.294 WHIP. He struck out 78 and walked 37 over 87.1 innings pitched.

We all figured the Sox would add a back-end starter eventually, and this signing is OK on one condition -- Gonzalez needs to be the second- or third-best starter the Sox sign this offseason. So far, he's the best starter they've signed, and that's concerning.

Maybe I should amend the projected rotation I posted yesterday to look more like this:

1. Lucas Giolito
2. ??????
3. Reynaldo Lopez
4. Dylan Cease
5. Gonzalez

The Sox still need another starting pitcher, and it needs to be somebody who can pitch deeper into games and be more reliable than a journeyman veteran such as Gonzalez.

Cuthbert, 27, is a former Kansas City Royals prospect who never panned out. Last season, he batted .246/.294/.379 with nine home runs and 40 RBIs in 87 games and 330 plate appearances. His career slash line is .250/.300/.378.

Meh. At least it's only a minor-league deal. Cuthbert has played third base and first base in his career. I guess he's around as protection in case Yoan Moncada suffers another nagging, soft tissue injury at some point during the 2020 season.

Other than that, I got nothing.

White Sox sign veteran right-hander Ervin Santana to minor-league deal

Ervin Santana

The White Sox on Friday agreed to terms with veteran right-hander Ervin Santana on a minor-league contract.

If Santana makes the club -- a good bet if he's healthy -- his salary will be $4.3 million, according to reports.

There is good news and bad news about the 36-year-old Santana. First, the good news:

He's only two years removed from the best season of his 14-year MLB career. In 2017, Santana went 16-8 with a 3.28 ERA in 33 starts for the Minnesota Twins. He led the American League in both complete games (5) and shutouts (3), and was selected to the All-Star team for the second time in his career and for the first time since 2008.

Now, the bad news:

Santana was hurt last season. Surgery on his right middle finger limited him to five starts and 24.1 innings in 2018, and he went 0-1 with an 8.03 ERA.

Yes, that's the reason he's available on a minor-league deal.

That being said, I don't object to this signing. At SoxFest, I asked general manager Rick Hahn about getting another starter for the rotation, and he gave me a line of bull about how Manny Banuelos is capable of helping this team.

Not sold on Banuelos, and looking at the remaining free agent starting pitchers, I felt like either Santana or Gio Gonzalez would fit the bill as a one-year stopgap. Turns out Santana is the choice.

The Sox's 2020 rotation projects to be Carlos Rodon, Michael Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease.

But right now, Kopech is recovering from elbow surgery and will miss all of 2019. Cease needs another half-season or so of experience in the minor leagues before he gets called up.

The Sox need a couple of veterans to fill those two spots in the short run, so let's hope Santana and Ivan Nova can do the job.

Based upon the young pitching that is in place, and the young pitching that is on the way, I don't have a problem with the Sox declining to make a longer-term investment in the rotation at this time.

The lineup, however, is another matter. Looking at all the weak bats on this roster, I would like to see some money spent on position players. There remains money to be spent, but there is no indication that it will be spent before the season begins March 28.

Next time someone tries to tell you baseball is boring ...

Dallas Keuchel -- still looking for work ...

... hand them a tape of Sunday's Super Bowl, in which the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3.

What a snooze fest. But, hey, some guy on the Rams set a Super Bowl record by unleashing a 65-yard punt! That probably was the highlight of the game for Los Angeles.

But seriously, the one thing I like about Super Bowl Sunday is that it means it's almost time for pitchers and catchers to report. The NFL is out of our way now. No more experts droning about about "the football," and we can move on to watching a more interesting sport that doesn't result in its players contracting CTE.

Pitchers and catchers report Feb. 12 for the White Sox, as they do for many teams around the league. I'm excited to see spring training get going.

Now, if only some of these 130 remaining free agents could get contracts between now and then.

There's some pretty good players on that list, beyond just the obvious. (Manny Machado and Bryce Harper)

Mike Moustakas, Dallas Keuchel, Craig Kimbrel, think any of those guys could help your favorite team? I'll bet they could.

Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing the Sox take a flyer on someone in the second tier of pitchers to fill out their starting rotation. Gio Gonzalez or Ervin Santana anyone?

Do you suppose the Cubs wish they still had Chris Archer? Or Josh Donaldson?

As a matter of philsophy, I usually agree with the idea of trading prospects for proven veterans. After all, you generally know what you're going to get from a veteran player, and as a percentage, the overwhelming majority of prospects are busts.

If you take a look at what the White Sox have done over the last 10 or 15 years, most of former GM Ken Williams' trades have involved dealing future prospects to acquire help for the here and now. When I look at all the young players Williams traded, the only one I wish the Sox still had is Gio Gonzalez.

Strangely enough, the Sox traded him twice. In 2005, they sent him and Aaron Rowand to Philadelphia for Jim Thome (good trade). They reacquired him, along with Gavin Floyd, for Freddy Garcia in 2006 (also a decent trade). Then, they sent him to Oakland in 2008 with Ryan Sweeney and Fautino De Los Santos for Nick Swisher (terrible trade).

The rest of the players Williams traded, I can't say I miss.

Here are two guys the former GM of the Cubs (Jim Hendry) traded that I'll bet the current GM (Jed Hoyer) wishes he still had: Tampa Bay pitcher Chris Archer and Oakland third baseman Josh Donaldson.

Archer, a 24-year-old right-hander, is having a breakout season for the Rays. He's 8-5 with a 2.81 ERA in 17 starts. He's allowed two earned runs or less in 12 of those outings. Pretty impressive for a kid who just joined the rotation on June 1 and is pitching in the rugged AL East. 

The Cubs acquired Archer from Cleveland in the Mark DeRosa deal in 2008, but in 2011, they flipped him to Tampa Bay in an eight-player deal that brought Matt Garza to the North Side of Chicago. Over 2 1/2 seasons, Garza went 21-18 in 60 starts for the Cubs. He, of course, is no longer on the team, having been traded to the Texas Rangers earlier this summer.

Meanwhile, the Rays have a potential ace on their roster. The Cubs are still looking for that guy. Some people in Chicago seem to believe Jeff Samardzija is an ace. I disagree. A 28-year-old with a 4.13 ERA who is blowing 5-0 leads against the woeful Philadelphia Phillies is not an ace. He's a mid-rotation starter on a contender. The Cubs should consider trading him this offseason. He's not going to get any better than he is right now.

Donaldson, a 27-year-old third baseman, is a bit of a forgotten man. Most people haven't noticed his .296 average, 19 home runs and 77 RBIs this season because he plays for Oakland. Most people have probably also forgotten the Cubs selected him 48th overall in the 2007 draft.

In July of 2008, Donaldson, Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton and Eric Patterson were traded to Oakland for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin. At the time, Donaldson was the least talked about player of the four the Cubs gave up. Right now, he looks like the best player in that deal. He plays third base, too, and it seems like about half the teams in baseball are looking for someone to fill that position. It took five years, but that acquisition is paying dividends for the A's, who certainly do not miss Harden or Gaudin.

With both Chicago teams out of the pennant race this year, both clubs have traded some veterans for future considerations this summer. A couple years down the line, maybe they'll strike gold in some of these deals. Only time will tell. Most of the time, the team acquiring the veteran wins the trade. But every now and then, you seen a trade like the Archer deal or the Donaldson deal where the team acquiring the prospects prevails.