Reynaldo Lopez, Lance Lynn headed to new teams

Lance Lynn is going back where he started.

Two former White Sox pitchers agreed to terms on new contracts with new teams Monday.

Reynaldo Lopez is headed to the Atlanta Braves on a three-year, $30 million contract. Meanwhile, Lance Lynn is going to the St. Louis Cardinals. He's got a one-year deal worth $11 million, with incentives that could earn him as much as $14 million. The contract also includes an option for 2025 that could increase the value to $25 million.

Lopez, who turns 30 in January, bounced from the White Sox to the Los Angeles Angels to the Cleveland Guardians last season. After a rough start with the Sox, his final season numbers don't look too bad -- 3-7 with a 3.27 ERA in 68 games, with six saves. Lopez fanned 83 batters in 66 innings.

Feel free to insert the joke here about the Braves wishing to re-create the Sox bullpen. Lopez rejoins his former teammate Aaron Bummer, whom the Sox traded to Atlanta late last week.

But in a different twist, it appears the Braves are interested in possibly making Lopez a starter. According to a tweet sent Monday by Ken Rosenthal, Lopez will prepare this offseason as if he will be a member of the rotation, and Atlanta will explore the option in spring training.

Lopez hasn't been a full-time starting pitcher since 2019. That didn't work out for him in Chicago, but if he makes it work in Atlanta, that would justify the investment the Braves have made here. If Lopez is just going to be a seventh-inning reliever or something similar, you can find guys to do that role for less than $10 million AAV.

Lynn, 36, made 32 starts last season -- 21 with the Sox and 11 with the Los Angeles Dodgers -- but that's one of the few positives he can take from his 2023 campaign. He went 13-11, but had an unsightly 5.73 ERA. He had a -0.8 WAR and gave up a league-high 44(!) homers over 183.2 innings. 

The Cardinals know Lynn well. He pitched in St. Louis from 2011-17 and won a World Series there in 2011. No doubt, the club is hoping the veteran has at least one decent year left in his arm.

In other starting pitching news, a major name agreed to a contract over the weekend. Aaron Nola is staying with the Philadelphia Phillies for seven years and $172 million.

What might this mean for White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease, whose name has been mentioned in trade rumors? 

There are still some good free agent pitchers out there, including NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, World Series champion Jordan Montgomery and Japanese import Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Nola has set the market for those guys by agreeing on a contract worth $24.5 million AAV.

Meanwhile, Cease is not a free agent. He's arbitration eligible with a suggested salary of $8.8 million. He has two years of team control remaining.

If Lynn can pull in $11 million in free agency coming of a rough year, then Cease is a tremendous value in this marketplace. Sox general manager Chris Getz should keep that in mind, if he is indeed entertaining trade offers for Cease.

Lance Lynn pitching well since joining Los Angeles Dodgers

Former White Sox right-hander Lance Lynn has been rejuvenated since the late-July trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

At the time of the deal, Lynn was 6-9 with a 6.47 ERA across 21 starts with Chicago. That 6.47 ERA was the worst among qualified starting pitchers in all of baseball.

But since escaping the Sox and their "bad culture," the 36-year-old has discovered the fountain of youth. In four starts with the Dodgers, he's 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA.

Lynn received a no-decision Thursday night, but he tossed seven shutout innings in a 1-0 Los Angeles victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Here's a look at the pitching lines for Lynn with the Dodgers:

Aug. 1 vs. Oakland: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 Ks, 1 BB -- WIN

Aug. 6 vs. San Diego: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 Ks, 2 BBs -- WIN

Aug. 11 vs. Colorado: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 9 Ks, 1 BB -- WIN

Aug. 17 vs. Milwaukee: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 Ks, 1 BB- ND

Total: 25 IP, 17 H, 5 R, 4 ERs, 25 Ks, 5 BBs

So, what's different? Well, the Dodgers told Lynn to throw fewer cutters and more four-seam fastballs. Obviously, it's working, and that's led to some irate Sox fans. Why didn't pitching coach Ethan Katz order this adjustment while Lynn was still pitching on the South Side?

Before we get too mad, let me point out one thing: Lynn hasn't been facing good offenses since he joined the Dodgers.

He has pitched against one mediocre offense (San Diego) and three bad offenses (Oakland, Colorado and Milwaukee).

The Padres rank 16th out of 30 teams in runs per game. The Rockies are 22nd, the Brewers are 24th, the Athletics are dead last. That's three bottom-10 offenses out of four.

So, I'm not 100% sold that Lynn is back on track for good. Here's my question: When a good offensive team adjusts to his new pitch mix, will he have a counter that will still allow him to thrive? 

I don't have a firm answer to that question. Just throwing it out there. It's something to watch.

And if you're feeling as though Sox players always improve as soon as they leave the team, don't despair. That's a myth. After all, just look at what Lucas Giolito has done through his first four starts with the Los Angeles Angels: 1-3 with an 8.14 ERA. Woof.

Keynan Middleton bashes White Sox culture; Lance Lynn subtly backs him

Former White Sox reliever Keynan Middleton, who was traded at the deadline to the New York Yankees, is back in Chicago this week as a member of his new team.

And when asked about the problems with his old team, he came out swinging. Middleton bashed the team culture, saying there were "no rules" with no accountability for players who showed up late for meetings and fell asleep during games and whatnot.

You can read the article from Jesse Rogers of ESPN here. For Sox fans, it's well worth your time.

The immediate thought is, "How credible is Middleton?" Well, he's very credible in my view. What reason would he have to make all this up? This Sox gave him a chance to revitalize his career this season, and to his credit, he pitched well -- well enough that a contending team wanted him at the deadline. I don't see any reason why he would have a personal ax to grind with anyone in Chicago.

Not to mention, former Sox starting pitcher Lance Lynn, who was traded at the deadline to the Los Angeles Dodgers, subtly backed Middleton during an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast.

Former Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski asked Lynn directly about Middleton's remarks. Here's a transcript of how it went:

A.J.: Lance, did you see what Keynan Middleton said when he got traded?

Lynn: I did see what popped up yesterday, yes.

A.J.: Do you have any thoughts on that ... possibly?

Lynn: I can say this. ... Let me tell you what Key was wrong about ... <crickets>

A.J.: OK ...

<crickets>

Off-camera voice: We're ready.

<even more crickets>

A.J.: I get it.

So, Lynn told us what Middleton was wrong about, and that was ... absolutely nothing!

Thank you, Keynan Middleton, for calling attention to the dysfunction that has existed in the Sox organization for years and years.

As a fan, it's difficult when the team you've loved since you were a child absolutely stinks. It's difficult when that team is a national laughingstock. 

But in some ways, this was the best day of the season for me, because a light is finally shining on the ineptitude and suffocating failure that exists in the White Sox organization. That failure has been murdering the fan base for several seasons now. We're long past the point of needing change.

The White Sox winning percentage for 2023 is below .400, and that's even after winning two out of three in Cleveland over the weekend. That's pathetic in a supposed "contention window." 

We can only hope the embarrassment the Sox are enduring now sparks some turnover among the people in charge of this languishing operation.

Former Dodgers get rude introduction to White Sox system

Trayce Thompson

So far, so bad for the three players the White Sox acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers last week in exchange for pitchers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly.

Trayce Thompson is back for his third stint with the Sox. Longtime fans will recall the Sox drafted him in the second round in 2009. He made it to the majors in 2015 before being traded to the Dodgers the following offseason. He was with the Sox briefly in 2018, and like a cat with nine lives, he's back on the South Side again.

The 32-year-old outfielder went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his first game back with the Sox on Thursday, a 5-3 loss to the Texas Rangers. 

Thompson is a good defensive player who can handle all three outfield spots competently. He's also reportedly a good guy in the clubhouse. That's probably why he keeps getting opportunities in the majors. It certainly isn't his skill at the plate. He's a lifetime .215/.302/.426 hitter.

To be honest, I'm not sure why Thompson is here. What purpose does he serve? Your guess is as good as mine. He's in the twilight of a journeyman career, trying to hang on to a roster spot in the majors.

The two guys who matter most to the Sox in this deal are pitchers Nick Nastrini and Jordan Leasure.

Nastrini, a 23-year-old right-hander, was the No. 9 prospect in the Dodgers system. He is now the No. 4 prospect in the Sox system. Reports say he could be major league ready as soon as next year. Let's hope so, because the Sox have plenty of holes to fill in the starting rotation.

However, Nastrini's first start at Double-A Birmingham went poorly. He gave up seven runs, five earned, on six hits over 4.2 innings. But hey, at least he struck out six. That's an indication that some swing-and-miss stuff was there. This season, Nastrini has fanned 91 batters over 78.1 innings. We can hope that his bad outing was just a matter of getting acclimated to a new team. After all, it can be jarring for a young player after he gets traded.

Speaking of jarring, Leasure is 0-2 with a 40.50 ERA through his first two relief appearances at Triple-A Charlotte. He gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning in his first outing, and gave up a two-run walk-off homer in his second appearance. That's rough.

The 24-year-old throws 98 mph, and I've heard some people say he might get a look in Chicago in September. I wouldn't mind that, but first he'll need to stabilize his performance with Charlotte.

White Sox make 6 deals in days leading up to trade deadline

The White Sox needed to sell at the Aug. 1 trade deadline, and they did. Here's a look at the six trades the team has made over the past week:

1. Traded pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to the Los Angeles Angels for catcher Edgar Quero and pitcher Ky Bush.
2. Traded pitchers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitchers Nick Nastrini, Jordan Leasure and outfielder Trayce Thompson.
3. Traded pitcher Kendall Graveman to the Houston Astros for catcher Korey Lee.
4. Traded infielder Jake Burger to the Miami Marlins for pitcher Jake Eder.
5. Traded pitcher Keynan Middleton to the New York Yankees for pitcher Juan Carela.
6. Acquired pitcher Luis Patino from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations.

I'll talk more about these deals in the days ahead. The Sox are 43-64 heading into Tuesday night's game with the Texas Rangers, so there will not be much on the field to talk about. 

Maybe we'll get a look at a couple of these new acquisitions before 2023 is over. I'm thinking Lee and Patino are candidates to be on the roster soon. We shall see.

White Sox can't sell false hope after getting swept in Minnesota

The White Sox entered this weekend's series against the first-place Minnesota Twins nine games back in the American League Central Division.

The thinking was, if they could sweep, they would be "back in it," only six games out with 61 games to go. Accordingly, they lined up their three best starting pitchers -- Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease and Lucas Giolito -- to pitch the three games against the Twins.

Well, instead of sweeping, they got swept. The Sox leave Minnesota 12 games out of first place, and they can no longer cling to any sort of hope -- false as it was -- in the division race. The 2023 season has been toast for months in my eyes, but after this, nobody can disagree with that assessment anymore.

On Sunday, the Sox took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. Giolito was in line for the win, but Kendall Graveman gave up three runs and blew the whole thing. The Twins went on to win, 5-4, in 12 innings.

The loss leaves the Sox at 41-60. That's really a terrible record for a team that GM Rick Hahn said was "built to go deep into October" at the start of the season. Phooey.

In fact, this year's team isn't much different than the teams Sox fans watched during the three years of intentional losing (2017-19):

• 2017: 39-62 after 101 games
• 2018: 36-65 after 101 games
• 2019: 45-56 after 101 games
• 2023: 41-60 after 101 games 

In other words, the "peak contention window" Sox are not any better than the "tanking for draft position" Sox of past years. That's quite an indictment of the front office and the players alike.

I'm 47 years old. I've been a Sox fan since I attended my first game in 1981. I've seen worse Sox teams than this, but this is probably the worst season I've ever had to endure.

The gap between what the organization says they are and what they actually are has never been more wide. It's a chasm, and that's what makes all this losing so intolerable. They claim that they have what it takes to win, but it's been clear for months that they simply do not.

It's time to clean house, both in the front office and on the field.

Lucas Giolito struggles through poor start against Mets

Lucas Giolito

On Tuesday afternoon, I saw a Twitter poll asking whether Lucas Giolito's start against the New York Mets would be his last as a member of the White Sox.

It's a reasonable question. After all, the Sox entered Tuesday's action 15 games below .500 and eight games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins in the American League Central Division. Giolito is in the last year of his contract, and he would have value for a contending team.

I voted "no" in the poll. My opinion was the minority one. At the time I voted, 64% of respondents said "yes."

But here's why I think Giolito will hang around for one more start and perhaps two: The Sox play at Minnesota this weekend, and the team very clearly set their post All-Star break rotation with that series in mind. Lance Lynn will pitch Friday. Dylan Cease is scheduled to work Saturday, and Giolito's next turn is Sunday. 

These three games against the Twins represent the last gasp of the season. If the Sox were to somehow sweep that series and get within, say, five games of the division lead, management would probably delay their sell-off for another week -- at least until the four-game set against the Cleveland Guardians from July 27-30 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Guardians are another team the Sox need to catch, and Giolito would be scheduled to work the third game of that four-game set -- if there are no changes to the rotation.

You might be saying this is all pie in the sky. You might be saying that the Sox suck, and they are out of it. And I agree with you 100%. But you have to think along with team brass here. They still believe they assembled a "talented" roster, and I expect them to fight to the death.

By the time that Cleveland series is over, the Sox still have time to trade key players before the deadline, if they indeed are buried in the division race. And let's be honest: Not much gets done in MLB until right before the deadline. Teams are trying to broker the best deal possible, and they often don't move until the last possible minute.

Back to Tuesday's start ... Giolito was awful. He had his worst start in a long time, allowing eight earned runs on six hits in 3.2 innings. He struck out five, walked five and allowed three home runs in a 11-10 loss.

Those same Sox fans on Twitter are having a meltdown in the wake of this poor performance, believing Giolito has "cratered" his trade value.

With all due respect, that is pure idiocy.

Giolito had allowed two earned runs or less in six of his previous seven starts. He's had a good season overall. 

Not to mention, he's been in the American League for six-plus seasons. He's a veteran pitcher, with a huge career sample size and a well-established track record. GMs and scouts know exactly what Giolito can do -- and what he cannot do. 

Fans allow their emotions to get involved when they see a poor result, but that's not the way to look at the situation. Those who work in baseball are not going to change their assessment of a player based upon one game. They are going to take a bigger-picture view of that player's performance.

Giolito is almost certainly going to be dealt by the end of the month. A contender will want him. And the Sox should get a respectable return, at least as far as rental players go.

Suddenly, I'm being transported back to 2017-18

I remember the darkest days of the White Sox rebuild -- in 2017 and 2018. 

I used to check the pitching matchup in the morning and say to myself, "Good grief, the Sox have no chance to win today." And they would inevitably lose, and you'd just live with it (but not like it) because expectations are so low.

On Tuesday morning, I found myself in that position again. White Sox at Dodgers. Lance Lynn (6.75 ERA) on the mound for the Sox. Tony Gonsolin (1.93 ERA) on the mound for Los Angeles.

A helpless feeling. The Sox have no chance. They are beat before they even step on the field.

Lynn gave up two two-run homers in the first inning. It was 4-0 Dodgers by the top of the second inning. Gonsolin threw six innings of shutout ball. He allowed only two hits.

The Dodgers beat the Sox, 5-1. Five or six years ago, we all shrugged off the Sox being overmatched by an elite team like Los Angeles. 

Now, it's more irritating because we were promised an elite team. Instead, we have a losing team. All you can do is shake your head.

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.

Will Lance Lynn get DFA'd by White Sox?

Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani combined to hit 1,345 feet of home runs off White Sox right-hander Lance Lynn on Wednesday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Trout hit a 461-foot cannon shot in the first inning on a pitch that I would hesitate to call a slider -- it did absolutely nothing. Ohtani's home runs -- one in the third inning and another in the fourth -- traveled 425 feet and 459 feet, respectively.

Yes, it was a rough day for Lynn (4-6), as the Los Angeles Angels routed the Sox, 12-5.

The final line for Lynn: He pitched four innings, allowing eight runs (all earned) on eight hits. He struck out four, walked two, hit two batters and surrendered three titanic home runs. He gave the Sox no chance to win.

His ERA ballooned to 6.55 in 12 starts. His WHIP was an ugly 1.453 coming into Wednesday, and that's about to get worse. His velocity is down -- bad news for a fastball pitcher -- and at age 36, it's fair to wonder if Lynn's best days are past.

In the wake of this terrible game, I've seen Sox fans on social media calling for Lynn to be designated for assignment.

It is true that a roster move is due -- Mike Clevinger is ready to come off the injured list and rejoin the starting rotation. That will probably happen this weekend against the Detroit Tigers.

However, I expect Jesse Scholtens to be optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, even though Scholtens did a reasonable job in relief Wednesday. He worked four innings, gave up only two runs and generally went about the business of getting this terrible game over with as quickly as possible.

Here's the problem with getting rid of Lynn: Scholtens, a 29-year-old who just made his big league debut earlier this season, is the only pitcher in the Sox system who looks credible enough to provide depth in the rotation. 

Say you let Lynn go and install Scholtens in the rotation, and then you have another injury (a very likely possibility with this fragile team). Then what? Cover your eyes when you look at the pitching statistics for Triple-A Charlotte. With Davis Martin out for the season after elbow surgery, there isn't anyone else who can help.

There are 104 games left in the season. That means there are somewhere between 900 and 950 innings left to cover. The Sox are 23-35. They are out of race, but they still have to play these games and somebody has to take the mound and wear it. Might as well be Lynn.

Then, when the season ends, you decline Lynn's option for 2024 and regroup.

White Sox sweep Kansas City Royals

Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday afternoon.

It's only the Kansas City Royals, but the 2023 White Sox have finally swept a three-game series. And given that the Royals took three out of four from the Sox in Kansas City just last week, perhaps we shouldn't be minimizing the accomplishment. 

Here's a look back at the weekend that was:

Friday, May 19: White Sox 2, Royals 0

Michael Kopech (2-4) dominated the Royals over eight innings, allowing only one hit while striking out 10 and walking none. The lone Kansas City hit was a broken-bat single by Michael Massey, and he was quickly erased when Jackie Bradley Jr. grounded into a double play. 

Kendall Graveman worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his third save of the season, and Sox pitchers ended up facing the minimum 27 batters. That's the first time the Sox have done that since Philip Humber's perfect game in 2012.

The Sox offense produced only five singles, but four of them came in the second inning, yielding the only two runs that were needed. Gavin Sheets had an RBI single, and Romy Gonzalez added a sacrifice fly.

Saturday, May 20: White Sox 5, Royals 1

Jake Burger's three-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning turned a slim 2-1 Sox lead into a comfortable advantage. Yoan Moncada's two-run single in the first inning produced the other Sox runs.

After giving up a home run to Salvador Perez in the first inning, Lucas Giolito (3-3) settled in to give the Sox six quality innings. He allowed six hits, while striking out four and walking one. 

Four Sox relievers combined to allow only one hit over the last three innings.

Sunday, May 21: White Sox 5, Royals 2

The big hit in this game came from Gonzalez, of all people. The backup infielder entered Sunday's game with a .132 batting average, but with runners on second and third and the Sox trailing 2-1 in the fifth inning, Gonzalez delivered a two-run triple that put the Sox ahead to stay. His average is up to .195 after a 3-for-3 day.

Luis Robert connected for this 13th home run of the season, a solo shot in the fourth, and Andrew Benintendi added the other two RBIs -- a sacrifice fly after Gonzalez's triple in the fifth and an RBI single in the seventh.

Lance Lynn (3-5) gave up a two-run homer to Massey in the second, but nothing more, over six innings. He struck out six and walked two.

Relievers Keynan Middleton, Aaron Bummer and Joe Kelly did not allow a hit over the final three innings. Kelly struck out two in his 1-2-3 ninth inning and earned his first save of the season.

The Sox are 19-29. The Royals are 14-34.

Lance Lynn gets back on track against weak-hitting Cleveland Guardians

Lance Lynn

White Sox right-hander Lance Lynn has had a terrible start to the 2023 season. 

Coming into Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians, Lynn was 1-5 with a 7.51 ERA and a 1.602 WHIP in eight starts. Opponents had a .420 batting average against him while he was pitching out of the stretch. Ouch. 

However, the Guardians have been one of the weakest offenses in the American League so far this season. Among the 15 AL teams, Cleveland ranked 14th in runs scored (142) and dead last in batting average (.228), slugging percentage (.342) and OPS (.645) before Tuesday's game.

Lynn had a chance to get back on track against a slumping opponent, and he did just that. He pitched seven-plus innings to pick up the victory as the Sox beat the Guardians, 8-3, at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Through seven innings, Lynn (2-5) allowed only one earned run before he got dinged for a couple of unearned runs in the eighth. His final line: 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 7 Ks, 0 BBs.

The game remained scoreless until the fifth inning, when the Sox scored six two-out runs against Cleveland ace Shane Bieber (3-2). All the runs against Bieber were unearned, after Luis Robert Jr. started the lengthy rally by reaching base on catcher's interference.

On a hit-and-run play, Robert Jr. scored from first base on a single by Yoan Moncada. After a single by Andrew Vaughn, Gavin Sheets hit his fifth home run of the season -- a 3-run shot to make it 4-0.

After Yasmani Grandal singled, Jake Burger's two-run homer made it 6-0. Burger has homered in each of the two games he's played in since returning from the injured list. He ranks second on the Sox with nine homers.

The Sox home run leader? That would be Robert Jr., who capped the scoring with a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth -- his 12th home run of the year.

Robert Jr. has homered in four straight games. The last Sox player to do that was Matt Davidson, from June 12-15, 2017.

In a roster move before the game, pitcher Garrett Crochet was activated off the injured list, and pitcher Nicholas Padilla was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Crochet missed all of the 2022 season after Tommy John surgery. He gives the Sox another left-handed option in the bullpen.

The Sox are 15-28. The Guardians are 19-22.

White Sox blown out in Kansas City (again)

The top of the first inning gave me some really bad vibes Wednesday night.

Kansas City starting pitcher Brad Keller is the American League leader in walks issued. He had walked 28 batters in 34.2 innings pitched coming into his start Wednesday against the White Sox.

And he walked Tim Anderson and Andrew Benintendi to start this game. Eight of his first 10 pitches were out of the zone. Good start for the Sox, right? 

Then Andrew Vaughn swung at a bad pitch and grounded into a double play, and Luis Robert Jr. struck out flailing at a breaking ball in the dirt. Keller got off the hook, and I laughed out loud, knowing what was coming next.

The Royals pounded Lance Lynn for four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Keller settled in, and Kansas City went on to an easy 9-1 victory.

It was the second time in three days the 11-27 Royals have blown out the Sox, who dropped to 13-25. 

This game was over in the first inning. Against the Royals. In the middle of an alleged "contention window" for the Sox. Let that rattle around in your head for a bit, and tell me you still think the Sox are going to rally to make the playoffs.

Sorry, I don't see it. 

Lynn gave up seven runs on nine hits over five innings. He's now 1-5 with a 7.51 ERA over eight starts.

By way of comparison, Dallas Keuchel made eight starts for the Sox last season. He went 2-5 with a 7.88 ERA before being designated for assignment.

Yes, Lynn is in Keuchel territory.

But no, I'm not calling for Lynn to be designated for assignment. The fact is the Sox have nobody at Triple-A Charlotte who looks like a viable replacement, so they are just going to have to hope he turns it around. If he doesn't, he'll be wearing it all summer long.

PItching matchups for White Sox series at Cincinnati

The White Sox begin a seven-game road trip Friday, starting with a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. Here's a look at the pitching matchups:

Friday, 5:40 p.m.: Lance Lynn (0-4, 7.16 ERA) vs Hunter Greene (0-1, 2.89 ERA)

Saturday, 5:40 p.m.: Mike Clevinger (2-2, 4.60 ERA) vs. Nick Lodolo (2-1, 6.16 ERA)

Sunday, 3:10 p.m.: Michael Kopech (0-3, 7.01 ERA) vs. Luke Weaver (0-2, 7.88 ERA)

The Reds enter this series in fourth place in the NL Central. Their record is 13-18.

I've heard a lot about how the Sox are 10-22, in part, because they've played a "tough schedule." Well, the Reds are a rebuilding team. If the Sox believe they can recover from their horrendous start and get back into contention, this is the type of series where you better win at least two of three.

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.

Sources: Mike Clevinger agrees to 1-year deal with White Sox

Mike Clevinger

Injuries played a major part in derailing the 2022 White Sox, so you would think adding players with a track record of good health would be a priority this offseason.

That's what makes the signing of injury-plagued pitcher Mike Clevinger so baffling. According to reports, the Sox and the 31-year-old veteran right-hander are in agreement on a one-year, $12 million contract.

Like so many guys the Sox have signed through the years, Clevinger was good once upon a time. In 101 games (88 starts) with the Cleveland Indians from 2016 to 2020, Clevinger went 42-22 with a 3.20 ERA, while striking out 10 batters per nine innings.

The Sox tried to acquire Clevinger at the 2020 trade deadline, but instead he went to the San Diego Padres in a nine-player deal -- a move that ultimately allowed Cleveland to acquire four players who contributed to its 2022 AL Central Division championship.

Once in San Diego, Clevinger suffered an elbow injury late in 2020, and he missed the entire 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. 

Credit to Clevinger for overcoming that -- he's one of only 47 pitchers in the history of baseball to return to major league competition after undergoing that particular surgery twice.

However, his 2022 season in San Diego was also injury-plagued. A right knee sprain, a right triceps injury and a bout with COVID-19 conspired to limit Clevinger to 22 starts and 114.1 innings. He went 7-7 with a 4.33 ERA. These days, he's striking out 7.2 batters per nine innings. His average fastball velocity sat at 93.2 mph, down from its 95.5-mph peak in 2019.

Clevinger figures to occupy the No. 4 spot in the Sox rotation, behind Dylan Cease, Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito, and ahead of Michael Kopech.

However, there are two reasons I don't like this signing. First, Clevinger can't be counted on to be healthy, and the Sox really need people to be healthy. According to pitching coach Ethan Katz, Kopech is behind schedule in his rehab after having right-knee surgery last fall. The hope is Kopech will be able to throw 85 pitches and go five innings by the time spring training ends in 2023.

In other words, you already have one injury concern going into the season with Kopech, and now you have two with Clevinger. The Sox have very little starting pitching depth in their organization, with only Davis Martin capable of coming up from Triple-A Charlotte and giving you a few credible starts in a pinch.

So that means Clevinger doesn't really solve the rotation hole. You're going to need at least one more guy as an insurance policy, but the Sox are on a tight budget, and they've already blown $12 million of whatever resources are being put toward free agency with this signing.

My other issue is that Clevinger is basically a five-inning pitcher at this point. The times-through-the-order penalty hits him hard. Here's a look at his 2022 numbers:

First time through the batting order: .588 OPS against

Second time through the batting order: .692 OPS against

Third time through the batting order: 1.032 OPS against 

When the opposition comes to the plate to start its third time through, bullpen get ready!

Here's another way to look at it, by pitch count:

Pitches 1-25: .605 OPS against

Pitches 26-50: .642 OPS against

Pitches: 51-75: .810 OPS against

Pitches 76+: .921 OPS against

Yeah, you're not getting any seven-innings outings out of Clevinger. If you get more than 20 starts, be happy. If you get 120 or more innings, be happy.

Now ask yourself: Should the Sox be making a guy who will be fortunate to make 20 starts and throw 120 innings their first major signing of the offseason? 

This player was a priority? I'm not impressed. The Sox need a workhorse for their rotation, not another question mark.

Lance Lynn, Elvis Andrus help White Sox win opener in Seattle

The White Sox offense still has trouble generating runs consistently, but it does seem as though veteran right-hander Lance Lynn has regained his form.

Entering Monday's series opener at Seattle, Lynn had allowed only five earned runs over 24.2 innings over his past four starts -- two wins and two no-decisions. Over that same span, he struck out 29 batters while walking only two.

Against the Mariners, Lynn (5-5) came up with his best outing of the season. He went seven innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits in a 3-2 Sox victory.

Lynn struck out 11 and walked only one, while generating 25 swings-and-misses on 89 pitches -- 63 of them for strikes. There were some pretty nasty shadows on the field with the game starting at 3:40 p.m. Pacific time, and that made conditions rough for batters.

Nevertheless, we have to say Lynn's stuff was sharp given that he retired the last 17 men he faced, and very little contact was made against him.

The Sox scored their three runs early off Seattle starter Marco Gonzales (10-13). In the second inning, AJ Pollock hit his 11th home run of the season. Elvis Andrus also hit his 11th homer (and third since joining the Sox) -- a two-run shot in the top of the third.

Andrus added a double and went 2 for 4. For whatever reason, he swings the bat really well in Seattle. At T-Mobile Park this season, dating back to his time with Oakland, he's 10 for 24 with five of his 11 home runs.

The Sox bullpen closed it out, although in dramatic fashion. Kendall Graveman worked around a two-out single to post a scoreless eighth. Liam Hendriks gave up a run on a walk and two singles in the ninth. The Mariners had the tying run at third and the winning run at second when Hendriks fanned Adam Frazier on three pitches to record his 30th save of the season.

Hendriks becomes the sixth Sox closer to record 30 or more saves in back-to-back seasons. The others are Bobby Thigpen, Roberto Hernandez, Keith Foulke, Bobby Jenks and David Robertson.

The Sox are 68-67.

Looking ahead: White Sox vs. Oakland Athletics this weekend

Here are your pitching matchups for this weekend's three-game series between the White Sox (49-49) and the Oakland Athletics (38-63) at Guaranteed Rate Field:

Friday, 7:10 p.m.: Lance Lynn (1-3, 6.43 ERA) vs. James Kaprielian (1-5, 4.74 ERA)

Saturday, 6:15 p.m.: Johnny Cueto (4-4, 2.89 ERA) vs. Paul Blackburn (6-6, 4.35 ERA)

Sunday, 1:10 p.m.: Dylan Cease (10-4, 2.03 ERA) vs. TBA

Oakland comes into Chicago with the sorriest record in the American League, but don't be fooled into thinking this will be an easy series for the Sox.

The A's have won three in a row and seven of their past 10, and they inexplicably swept the AL West-leading Houston Astros in their last series. So, for whatever reason, Oakland is playing well right now and cannot be taken lightly. The Sox need at least two out of three here.

But the bigger issue for the Sox is they simply must start playing better at home. In 2021, the Sox had the best home record in the AL at 53-28. That advantage has disappeared this season, as the Sox have gone 21-27.

In their 48 home games this season, the Sox are slashing .241/.302/.365. Their .667 OPS at home ranks 27th in baseball. And the pitching staff has compiled a 4.59 ERA at home, which is more than a full run higher than their road ERA (3.48).

This season, the Sox have played like a bottom-five team at home, and that's a big reason why they find themselves stuck at .500 and in third place.

The next six games are at home, against last-place Oakland and last-place Kansas City. If the poor home performance doesn't change now, it probably never will.

Jose Abreu homers twice as White Sox win in Lance Lynn's return

Jose Abreu

Jose Abreu hit a pair of two-run homers -- one in the first inning and another in the ninth -- to lead the White Sox to a 9-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday.

For Abreu, the home runs were his eighth and ninth of the season, and he finished the game 3 for 4 with a walk and four RBIs. The power numbers have been down for Abreu this season -- he has only 28 RBIs -- so it would be nice to see him start hitting the ball out of the park a little more often.

Through the first 13 days in June, Abreu, Jake Burger and AJ Pollock are the only Sox players with a home run this month.

Not to mention, the rest of the core of the Sox lineup is mostly absent right now:

Tim Anderson: injured

Yasmani Grandal: injured

Eloy Jimenez: injured

Yoan Moncada: batting .137 with a .399 OPS

Luis Robert: has only two extra-base hits in June (both doubles), although he was 2 for 5 with two singles in Monday's win

But, point being, a lot is on Abreu's shoulders right now with other key players either injured or not producing up to their capabilities.

The other big news Monday night was Lance Lynn's return to the starting rotation. The veteran right-hander had not pitched yet this season after having right knee surgery during spring training.

Lynn received a no-decision, going 4.1 innings. He allowed three runs on 10 hits. He struck out four and walked none. He threw 52 of his 88 pitches for strikes.

The 10 hits are the most Lynn has allowed in a single game since joining the Sox, so the rust was evident. In particular, Lynn struggled to retire left-handed batters.

The Detroit lefties combined to go 9 for 15 against Lynn, while righties were only 1 for 6. Something to keep an eye on in Lynn's next start, which no doubt will be against a better lineup than the Tigers.

The Sox are 28-31.

White Sox game postponed because of COVID; Yankees up next

The White Sox game against the Cleveland Guardians was postponed Wednesday because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the Cleveland organization.

Seriously? This is still happening in 2022? OK, whatever. I don't care about viruses, so let's get back to baseball.

The Sox will welcome the New York Yankees for a four-game series from Thursday through Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field. I don't believe in "measuring sticks" in May, but it's worth noting that the Yankees are a league-best 22-8 entering Thursday's action. It will be interesting to see whether the Sox can hold their own and win a couple of games.

Here are the pitching matchups:

Thursday: Dylan Cease (3-1, 2.38 ERA) vs. Luis Gil (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Friday: Vince Velasquez (2-2, 3.97 ERA) vs. Gerrit Cole (2-0, 2.67 ERA)

Saturday: Dallas Keuchel (2-3, 6.86 ERA) vs. Jordan Montgomery (0-1, 2.90 ERA)

Sunday: Michael Kopech (0-0, 0.93 ERA) vs. Nestor Cortes (1-1, 1.41 ERA)

Some Sox fans have expressed bewilderment that Keuchel is being allowed to pitch in this series. The unexpected off day Wednesday theoretically would allow the Sox to skip Keuchel. Kopech could pitch on regular rest Saturday, and then Lucas Giolito would be lined up to pitch Sunday.

But here's what I think is going on: The Sox have Johnny Cueto getting ready in the minors. They have add him to the active roster by Sunday, or he can opt out of his contract. 

Cueto's fate is intertwined with Keuchel's. Velasquez has outpitched Keuchel and deserves to keep his spot. So the question becomes, "Cueto or Keuchel?"

In his last start, Keuchel had a good outing and picked up a win against the Boston Red Sox. He's getting one more chance to prove he can string together a couple of good performances, and to prove he can still keep the Sox competitive against a quality opponent.

If Keuchel gets cuffed around and the Sox get destroyed Saturday, then I think we see Cueto added to the roster. He'd take the last spot in the rotation, at least until Lance Lynn returns from knee surgery, presumably in early June.