Weekend moves offer clues on White Sox right field strategy

We've been wondering all offseason who will be the White Sox right fielder in 2024, and we've been hoping it will be someone other than Gavin Sheets or Oscar Colas.

Turns out, fans might not have to put up with either Sheets or Colas in right field after a series of moves Sox general manager Chris Getz made over the weekend.

Here are the moves:

• Signed Kevin Pillar, 35, to a minor-league contract. Pillar will be paid $3 million if he makes the team out of spring training.
• Traded relief pitcher Gregory Santos to the Seattle Mariners for right-hander Prelander Berroa, outfielder Zach DeLoach and the No. 69 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
• Traded pitching prospect Cristian Mena to the Arizona Diamondbacks for outfielder Dominic Fletcher.

What does this mean for the right field scenario? DeLoach and Fletcher are both major league-ready prospects. Both are left-handed batters. I expect them to compete in spring training for the right to be the right fielder when the Sox are facing a right-handed pitcher. Pillar likely has an inside track to make the team, and play right field when the Sox are facing a left-handed pitcher.

Fletcher, 26, played 28 games in the majors last season for the National League champion Diamondbacks. He posted a solid line of .301/.350/.441 with two homers and 14 RBIs. He's only 5-foot-6, so don't expect big power out of him, but he hit right-handed pitchers hard at both levels he played at last season:

• Triple-A: .325/.412/.555 over 310 plate appearances
• MLB: .369/.423/.523 over 72 plate appearances

I think we can agree that the Sox could use a lefty bat who punishes righties.

Then, there's DeLoach, 25, who has yet to play in the majors. He has more swing-and-miss in his game (173 Ks last season), but he also offers more power. At Triple-A Tacoma in 2023, DeLoach batted .286/.387/.481 with 23 home runs and 88 RBIs.

I can't promise either of these two guys are the answer, but we know Sheets is not, right? And we know Colas needs more Triple-A time, which means it's time to try someone else.

That brings us to Pillar, who is the insurance policy against both Fletcher and DeLoach failing. Pillar is a plus defender, who can be counted on to play an effective right field, and he can play center field competently when Luis Robert Jr. needs a day off.

However, Pillar isn't much of a hitter at this stage of his career. He batted a ghastly .228/.248/.416 with nine homers and 32 RBIs in 81 games with the Atlanta Braves last season.

Pillar did bat .250/.261/.472 with six of his nine homers against lefties, so there is hope for decent production if he's deployed correctly as a platoon player.

What did the Sox lose in these deals? Well, Santos was pretty good in 2023 before he got hurt. He was a pleasant surprise out of the bullpen, going 2-2 with a 3.39 ERA, with 66 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched over 60 relief appearances.

Thanks to attrition and trades, Santos was closing by the time August and September rolled around -- on the rare occasions where the 2023 Sox needed a closer. Santos totaled five saves before elbow inflammation ended his season. His innings total in 2023 represented a career high, casting some doubt on how durable he will be in 2024.

However, there's a case to be made that Berroa, 23, will simply take Santos' spot. The right-hander struck out 104 batters over 65.1 innings in Double-A last year, and he earned a two-game cup of coffee with the Mariners. If he looks decent in spring, expect him to be a member of the Sox bullpen.

As for Mena, 20, he split time between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte last season. He went 8-7 with 4.85 ERA in 27 starts, and he was ranked among the top 10 prospects in the Sox system.

For that reason, I saw a lot of fans melting down over his trade. My recommendation to those folks is to relax. 

Mena is right-handed and throws a 92-mph fastball. He might be a useful pitcher for the Diamondbacks, but there's nothing special about right-handed and 92. There are plenty of pitchers out there just like him, and if you can move that guy for a position of need, you have to consider that.

And outfield is without question a position of need for the Sox. The options have increased as a result of these moves. Now we wait to see whether the moves work out.

White Sox add John Brebbia to uncertain bullpen mix

Over the weekend, the White Sox agreed to terms with right-handed relief pitcher John Brebbia, according to various reports.

Brebbia, 33, will make $4 million in 2024, with a $6 million mutual option for 2025 that includes a $1.5 million buyout. So, in effect, Brebbia is guaranteed $5.5 million over one season.

The veteran has pitched for the San Francisco Giants in each of the past three seasons. He led the National League in appearances in 2022 with 76, going 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA over 68 innings.

A lat strain limited Brebbia to 40 appearances in 2023, during which he went 3-5 with a 3.99 ERA across 38.1 innings.

If you look at his numbers, you'll notice Brebbia started 11 games in 2022 and 10 games in 2023. That's because the Giants used him as an opener. He's basically a one- or two-inning guy, and he's been used as a setup man throughout a good chunk of his career.

Newly hired White Sox senior pitching adviser Brian Bannister came from the Giants, so he's no doubt familiar with Brebbia. The main qualification for players joining the Sox this offseason seems to be familiarity with team brass, whether that's the manager, the GM or someone else ranking high in the organization.

At this point, hey, Brebbia might be a candidate to close.

Gregory Santos finished last season as the Sox closer, on the rare occasions they needed one, but he got injured at the end of the year, and I haven't heard any updates.

The only other addition to the Sox bullpen this offseason has been situational left-hander Tim Hill, who knows manager Pedro Grifol from his days with the Kansas City Royals.

Right now, here's a best guess at the eight relievers in line for jobs in the Sox bullpen:

1. Santos
2. Brebbia
3. Hill
4. Jimmy Lambert
5. Tanner Banks
6. Matt Foster
7. Jordan Leasure
8. Jesse Scholtens

Other possibilities: Deivi Garcia, Shane Drohan (Rule 5 pick), Lane Ramsey, Sammy Peralta.

Yeah, it's a roll of the dice with spots 5-8. Who really knows?

White Sox split doubleheader with Yankees

Good news: I was wrong. The wildfire smoke in New York did clear in time for the White Sox and Yankees to play two games on Thursday.

Like most doubleheaders, this was a split. The Sox took the opener, 6-5. The Yankees came back to take the second game, 3-0. 

If you would have told me Thursday morning that the Sox would win one game in the doubleheader and leave New York having taken two of three games in the series, I would have taken it. A series win here exceeds expectations.

Here's a look at what happened:

Game 1. The Sox scored all six of their runs on homers. Jake Burger, Luis Robert Jr., Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez all homered. Jimenez delivered a two-run shot in the top of the seventh that turned a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead. The bullpen made it stick.

The offense was welcome, because starting pitcher Lance Lynn had another shaky outing. He lasted five innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits. He struck out four and walked three. His season ERA is 6.72.

Fortunately, the Sox bullpen threw four scoreless innings. Gregory Santos (2-0) picked up the win after a clean sixth inning. Kendall Graveman allowed the first two runners to reach in the bottom of the ninth, but an infield pop fly and a double play got him out of trouble. He is 6 for 6 in save opportunities.

For the first time ever, Robert Jr., Moncada and Jimenez homered in the same game. Given that this is their fourth year as teammates, that's sort of unbelievable. But then again, at least one of them is usually hurt; they haven't been in the same lineup enough to make that happen -- until now.

Game 2. The Sox were limited to two hits, and Jimenez is day to day after pulling up lame after hitting a grounder to shortstop in the ninth inning. It's always something with these guys, isn't it?

This loss snapped the Sox's season-best five-game winning streak. They had no answer for Yankees rookie Randy Vasquez (1-1) and two New York relievers. A single by Jimenez and a single by Gavin Sheets ... and that was it for the Sox offense.

Mike Clevinger (3-4) had a serviceable start, but took the loss. He allowed three runs over 5.2 innings.

The Sox are 28-36 and will come home to face the Miami Marlins in a three-game weekend set at Guaranteed Rate Field.

White Sox limited to three hits in loss at Cleveland

So much for the good vibes from that series sweep of Kansas City, huh?

The White Sox managed only three hits Monday and lost, 3-0, to the Cleveland Guardians in the first game of a three-game series in Cleveland. 

Cleveland starter Hunter Gaddis entered this game with a 6.86 ERA in five previous games. He last faced the Sox on Sept. 15, 2022. In that game, he gave up seven earned runs -- including five homers -- over four innings pitched.

But on Monday, he threw six scoreless innings of two-hit ball to earn his first major league victory. 

Embarrassing for the Sox, although we shouldn't be surprised.

What's frustrating is the Sox got exactly what they needed from Triple-A call-up Jesse Scholtens (0-2), who was added to the roster after Mike Clevinger hit the 15-day injured list with right wrist inflammation.

Scholtens pitched five innings and allowed one run on two hits. The only run scored on a wild pitch, which should have been caught by Yasmani Grandal -- frankly, I thought it was a passed ball.

The Guardians got some breathing room in the seventh inning when Mike Zunino hit a two-out, two-strike, two-run homer off Gregory Santos to make it 3-0. 

Zunino had been in a 1-for-31 slump, so giving up a big hit to him right now is tough to accept.

As a matter of fact, everything about this game was tough to accept, but there is a reason the Sox are 19-30.

Liam Hendriks speaks; Keynan Middleton(!) closes out a victory for the White Sox

White Sox closer Liam Hendriks met the media Wednesday and made his first public comments since announcing his diagnosis with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in January.

Hendriks, wearing a shirt that read "struckout cancer," is in remission, and all systems are go for him to head out on a rehab assignment later this week. He'll join Triple-A Charlotte in Gwinnett, and Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Hendriks will need four or five appearances with the Knights, according to a report from MLB.com's Scott Merkin.

There hasn't been a lot of positive news this season, but there's no question Hendriks' improving health is the feel-good story of the year for the Sox. If he returns to pitch effectively so soon after treatment, it would be remarkable. 

People around the game of baseball, not just in Chicago, are pulling for him.

Meanwhile, on the field, the Sox have won three in a row. They secured their first series win of 2023 with a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.

And get this ... the Sox bullpen was excellent, with four relievers combining to throw four shutout innings after starter Dylan Cease labored to get through five innings. 

Keynan Middleton, who started the season in Triple-A, earned his first MLB save in two years. He faced four batters in the ninth inning, striking out three and walking one. The final strikeout came against All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, who came to the plate representing the tying run.

Middleton has been a pleasant surprise. In 11 appearances since his recall, he's posted a 2.89 ERA, and now he's being trusted in higher-leverage situations. He might stick in the bullpen, even after Hendriks returns.

Gregory Santos (1-0) got four outs and earned his first major league win. He deserved it, because he pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the top of the seventh, while the score was tied 4-4. And it wasn't just any jam either -- he had to face Correa, Byron Buxton and Trevor Larnach, the 3-4-5 batters in the Minnesota order.

Correa grounded to shortstop, and Tim Anderson threw home to get the force at the plate. Buxton bounced back to the mound. Santos knocked the ball down with his pitching hand, gathered the ball quickly and threw home for the force and the second out. Then Larnach struck out swinging on a 3-2 slider.

The Sox grabbed the lead in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Eloy Jimenez. Pinch runner Billy Hamilton scored from second base on an infield grounder in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving the Sox an insurance run that they ended up not needing.

Luis Robert Jr. hit his sixth home run of the season, a 3-run shot in the first inning. In his second game back from the injured list, Anderson went 3 for 4 with three singles, a walk, an RBI and a run scored.

The Sox are 10-21 and will look for a three-game sweep Thursday afternoon. Lucas Giolito starts for the South Siders. Minnesota will counter with Pablo Lopez.

White Sox bullpen remains a disaster

Andrew Vaughn hit a 3-run homer to cap a seven-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field, lifting the White Sox to a 12-9 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

With the win, the Sox (8-21) snapped a potentially season-killing 10-game losing streak and overcame yet another spectacular bullpen meltdown.

Don't let the final score fool you, folks. This game was not a slugfest. In fact, the Sox led 4-2 after seven innings, before the whole thing went off the rails in the eighth and ninth.

The Rays scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 7-4 lead. The Sox answered with one in the bottom of the inning to make it 7-5. The Rays increased their lead to 9-5 with two runs in the ninth.

Fortunately for the Sox, the Rays (23-6) chose to use two of their weaker relievers -- Jalen Beeks and Garrett Cleavinger -- in the bottom of the ninth. Closer Pete Fairbanks was evidently unavailable, and the Sox pounded the lesser Tampa Bay bullpen arms for an exciting and improbable victory.

Is this the type of win that can turn a sagging season around? Sadly, no, that seems unlikely. Outslugging your terrible bullpen is something you can do every now and then, but trying to do that regularly is not a recipe for long-term success.

I would have been happier if the Sox had won 4-2 on Sunday, as opposed to this wild finish. Why? Because having relief pitchers who can record big outs and post shutdown innings IS a sustainable way to win games over a 162-games season.

Unfortunately, the Sox have nothing of the sort. Their bullpen, coming into Monday, ranks last in MLB with a 6.86 ERA. Almost everyone has been bad, but let's look at the current members of the bullpen -- starting with those who have struggled the most:

Aaron Bummer. The man who is supposed to be the primary left-handed reliever in the bullpen has a 9.64 ERA through 13 appearances. He can't retire lefties, who have a .417 OBP against him. He can't retire the first batter he faces either. So far this season, the first batter Bummer faces has posted a .500/.615/.700 slash line. At Guaranteed Rate Field, he has a 16.62 ERA and a 3.231 WHIP over seven appearances. That's ridiculously bad.

Reynaldo Lopez. The man who would be closer has a 8.76 ERA in 14 appearances and a home run problem. Lopez did an incredible job of keeping the ball in the park in 2022, when he allowed only one homer in 65.1 innings. So far in 2023, he's allowed five home runs in only 12.1 innings. He might not be healthy either. After surrendering three runs in the eighth inning (including a go-ahead home run) Sunday, he was removed from the game with biceps discomfort.

Jake Diekman. Here's another left-handed reliever who can't get out left-handed batters. As a matter of fact, lefties have an OBP of .500 against Diekman. Is he aware that he's supposed to have the advantage in those situations? It sure doesn't look like it. Diekman has a 7.94 ERA, and he's lucky it's not worse -- given that he's walking 10.3 batters per nine innings, and has a 2.118 WHIP.

Joe Kelly. Hey, he struck out the side in the seventh inning Sunday! That represents Kelly's first positive contribution to the 2023 Sox. As usual, he's been injured. He's made only five appearances, with a 7.71 ERA. The two-year, $17 million contract he signed with the Sox before the 2022 season remains some of the worst money on the team's books.

Jimmy Lambert. After not giving up an earned run over his first seven outings of the season, the roof has caved in on the right-hander. He's allowed 10 earned runs over his last seven appearances. In fact, he's allowed six runs earned runs over his past two innings of work, causing his ERA to balloon from a respectable 3.27 to an ugly 6.92. Lambert appears to be suffering from overuse, having appeared in 14 of the team's 29 games. 

Kendall Graveman. The veteran's ERA has shot up to 5.56, largely because he's given up three home runs in his last three appearances. He pitched in three of the four games against Tampa Bay, and got taken deep in all of them. A home run allowed Friday night cost the Sox a game in the ninth inning.

Keynan Middleton. The journeyman didn't make the roster out of spring training, but he showed enough to get a call-up early in the season. He's struck out 13 in seven innings pitched over nine appearances. He has a 3.86 ERA in middle-leverage work. In other words, he's been fine. It's a sad commentary that he's the second-best pitcher in the Sox bullpen.

Gregory Santos. The guy who made the club as the 13th pitcher on the staff out of camp is actually the Sox best reliever. Santos has been performing a lot of low-leverage work and middle inning relief, but he has a 1.88 ERA over 13 outings. He's struck out 16 batters in 14.1 innings. This is an inexperienced pitcher -- he has only 18 MLB games under his belt. It's unclear whether he's ready for a higher leverage role. He might get an opportunity, just because everyone else stinks.

After Sunday's game, I saw people on social media criticizing Sox manager Pedro Grifol for bringing Lopez into the game. I guess that's understandable, since Lopez lost the lead, but who exactly should he have brought in? (Santos had already been used.)

There just aren't a lot of good options here. The Sox find themselves nine games out of the AL Central lead on May 1 for a lot of different reasons. Chief among them is the fact that this bullpen is terrible.

Hanser Alberto pitches again as White Sox makes fools of themselves

Utility infielder Hanser Alberto has made two appearances as a relief pitcher in the first three White Sox home games of the season.

That's not a good sign. The San Francisco Giants pounded the Sox, 16-6, on Thursday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field to take two of three in the series.

The Giants totaled 20 hits, including five home runs, and capitalized on a terrible start by right-hander Lance Lynn (0-1).

The veteran was lucky to last until the fifth inning, and he probably shouldn't have been allowed to pitch that long. In 4.1 innings, he allowed eight runs on nine hits -- three home runs -- while striking out five and walking three.

Things didn't get much better with Jose Ruiz (2 ER), Gregory Santos (2 ER) or Alberto (4 ER) on the mound.

As you might recall, the Sox lost Monday's game, 12-3, so a San Francisco team that is expected to be middle-of-the-pack in the National League had no trouble padding its numbers.

For the three-game series, the Giants totaled 31 runs on 38 hits. They drew 22 walks, and out-homered the Sox, 13-1.

The 13 home runs marked the most the Sox have EVER given up in a three-game series at home. They've been playing ball on the South Side of Chicago since 1901, so that's saying something. What we saw this week is nothing short of historical ineptness.

Through seven games this season, the Sox have issued a league-high 40 walks. They've also surrendered a league-high 15 home runs. Given that, they are fortunate to be 3-4. This is not a recipe for success of any sort, short term or long term.

Are we enjoying this alleged "championship window" yet, Sox fans? From what you've seen so far, do you feel as though this team has any chance to win in 2023? It's early, but it's been a brutal first week.

The Sox now go on the road for six games, three in Pittsburgh over the weekend and three at Minnesota from Monday to Wednesday next week. 

We know the Pirates are not contenders, so if they bomb the Sox pitchers too, we know we've got bigger problems than we thought.