White Sox November roster moves so far

The Moncada bobblehead is a candidate for the dustbin of history.

Let's catch up on some of the roster moves the White Sox have made since the season ended:

Declined the $25 million contract option on Yoan Moncada. The oft-injured third baseman played in only 12 games for the Sox in 2024, during which he totaled zero home runs and zero RBIs. Moncada played eight seasons on the South Side, and only two of them were good (2019 and 2021). He never made an All-Star appearance. He never won a Gold Glove. The Sox never won a playoff series during his tenure. So, no, he didn't live up to the hype that comes with being the No. 1 prospect in baseball. Moncada's departure means there is nobody left on the team from the Chris Sale trade. Call it vindication for those of us who hated that trade from the start.

Declined the $7.5 million contract option on Max Stassi. Did you even know this 33-year-old catcher was even on the team this season? No? Me neither. Stassi missed the whole season with a hip injury. He had surgery in June. Chances are he's played his last game in the majors.

Relievers Jimmy Lambert and Matt Foster decline outright assignments, elect free agency. More ties were cut with the walking wounded here. Lambert, 29, didn't pitch in 2024 with a rotator cuff injury. He had season-ending surgery in August. Foster, 29, started the year on the injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2023. He returned in August and made six appearances, but a back injury shut him down. He underwent back surgery Sept. 25. These are two more guys you might not see in the majors again.

Claimed pitcher Penn Murfee off waivers from Houston. It's the first dumpster dive of the offseason! Murfee, 30, had Tommy John surgery in July 2023 and missed the entire 2024 season. He pitched in a combined 80 games over two years with the Seattle Mariners -- 64 appearances in 2022 and 16 games before the elbow injury in 2023. He's 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA in his career, so if he can regain his health, well, I guess he becomes a leverage option on what figures to be a subpar 2025 Sox team.

Nicky Lopez and Sammy Peralta decline outright assignments, elect free agency. Lopez, who will turn 30 before the start of the 2025 season, was a Gold Glove finalist at second base. However, he ultimately doesn't have the bat to hold down a starting position, as evidenced by his .241/.312/.294 slash line with the 2024 Sox. If you can't *slug* .300, then you shouldn't be an everyday player. Given that Lopez would be due more than $5 million in arbitration, it doesn't make sense to retain him as a bench option, either. You can find utility players for a lot less money. Heck, if Lopez can't find work elsewhere, he might come back to the Sox for far less money. Peralta, 26, posted a 4.80 ERA over nine relief appearances in 2024. He is a forgettable left-handed reliever. The Sox have other internal options who were ahead of him.

Will Venable to be named White Sox manager

Say this for White Sox general manager Chris Getz: He said he was going to hire a manager from outside the organization. He said he was going to hire someone who was in uniform for another team.

Getz did exactly that. 

Will Venable, who is currently the associate manager of the Texas Rangers, is expected to be named the 44th manager in Sox history in the coming days.

Venable, 42, played nine seasons in the majors from 2008-16. All but the last of those years were spent with the San Diego Padres. 

After his playing days ended, Venable joined the Cubs in 2017, where he served as a special assistant to Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer. Later, he coached first base during his three years on the North Side. From 2020-22, Venable served as the Boston Red Sox bench coach. He joined the Rangers in 2023, where he won a World Series as a member of Bruce Bochy's coaching staff.

It remains to be seen whether Venable is the right man to fix the White Sox mess, but at least it appears that the process was legitimate. Getz was allowed to conduct an outside search and name his guy.

The Sox resisted the temptation to make the internal hire (Grady Sizemore), and they did not hire someone who is "Tony La Russa's guy." (Phil Nevin)

Perhaps I'm guilty of setting the bar a little low here, but the Sox have cleared the low bar I've set for them.

Venable comes to the Sox with no previous managerial experience, which of course has prompted some comparisons to Pedro Grifol, who was an unqualified disaster as Sox manager.

Let's be fair to Venable: He comes to the Sox with stronger credentials than Grifol did. He's a former player, which should give him more credibility in the locker room, and he's worked for some organizations that have had more success than, say, the Kansas City Royals, where Grifol toiled for years in relative obscurity.

Also notable: Even if Venable does everything right, he could still fail in Chicago. The Sox have bad ownership and an inexperienced GM. That's like stepping into the batter's box with two strikes already on you. And, of course, the roster is at rock bottom.

If you're a Sox fan right now, the mindset has to be, "Give the man a chance and hope for the best." What else can you do?

Chris Getz quote ... cringeworthy

White Sox general manager Chris Getz had his usual start-of-a-homestand press conference before Monday's game against the Cleveland Guardians.

Check out his lead quote from this article on ESPN.com:

"I think if you would have told me we were going to end up flirting with the record I would have been a little surprised," Getz said on Monday afternoon. "Now if you would have told me prior to the year that we would have ended up with over 100 losses, 105, 110, I wouldn't have been as surprised. But this is the cards that we've been dealt at this point. You try to make the best of it, and I think it's an opportunity to embrace the situation that we're in."

Where to start with this? There are three key points.

First, the Sox are not "flirting with the record." After Monday's 5-3 loss to Cleveland, their record is 33-112. They are on pace for 125 losses. The all-time record is 120 losses. The Sox are poised to blow right by this record and obliterate it. "Flirting" my ass.

Second, Getz speaks of "the cards we've been dealt." Chris, my man, you're the dealer. You're the general manager. You're responsible for the makeup of the roster.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, anti-tanking rules prevent the Sox from drafting any higher than 10th in the 2025 MLB draft. So, why would you be OK going into a season with a roster that could lose 105 or 110 games without it being a surprise? 

This is losing without a purpose. There is no development occurring at the big league level. There is no promise of a top draft choice as a result of all this losing. This isn't failing while getting better. It's just failure, and it's a waste of fans' time.

Thank goodness I haven't spent a single cent at Guaranteed Rate Field this season.

Happy Labor Day from The Baseball Kid

 

Michael Kopech's hot streak: Perhaps it wasn't because he was traded

Given the White Sox track record over the past few seasons, it's easy to dump on them. I dump on them frequently on this blog.

Every player who puts on a Sox uniform seems to turn into mush. When a player leaves the Sox, he seems to find new life with another team. Maybe it's confirmation bias at times, but you hear fans say that a lot.

Case in point, Michael Kopech, who was recently traded from the Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a three-team deal.

Kopech pitched in 43 games for the Sox this season. He was 2-8 with a 4.74 ERA. He was just 9 for 14 in save opportunities. While he struck out a robust 12.2 batters per nine innings pitched, that was canceled out by a high walk rate -- 4.9 batters per nine innings.

Then the trade happened, and Kopech made his first appearance with the Dodgers on July 31.

Here's his line with Los Angeles: 11 games pitched, 2-0 record, 0.79 ERA, two saves, five holds, 15 strikeouts and only two walks in 11.1 innings, and just one earned run and three hits allowed.

That's unquestionably outstanding. What many Sox fans don't realize, however, was that Kopech was pitching well BEFORE he was sent to the Dodgers.

The trade WAS NOT the turning point for him.

Kopech gave up a walk-off grand slam on a 99-mph fastball to Jake Burger of the Miami Marlins on July 7. After the game, he told MLB.com's Scott Merkin this:

“It’s coming down to what we talked about a lot lately in-house,” Kopech said. “I need to mix my pitches and not just rely on the fastball so much. It’s difficult to do that when I fall behind and my best pitch is my fastball. I have to get back in the count.

“The ninth has been my role this year, and those situations I have a job to do, and I haven’t been doing it well,” Kopech added. “There’s no easy way to say that. It’s tough for me to say, but it’s the truth. I’ve got work to do to get better.”

The Sox coaching staff had been trying all season to convince Kopech to use all of his pitches. Those pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, until the disastrous outing in Miami.

Then Kopech made some changes. As he stated, he had "work to do." He started mixing in his cutter and slider more frequently, and he started to get better results.

In his final five outings as a member of the Sox, Kopech worked 5.1 innings. He did not allow a single run. Over that same span, he struck out eight, walked only one and allowed just one hit. Those five games included an immaculate inning in a save against the Minnesota Twins on July 10.

Was it the Dodgers' pitching acumen that allowed Kopech to accomplish that? Obviously not. 

Kopech had gotten his act together before he left the Sox. The brilliant performances as a member of the Dodgers are a continuation of a hot streak that began in Chicago.

Maybe, just maybe, Kopech's successes and failures are on him, more than anything that coaches in Chicago or Los Angeles have said to him.

He had great stuff with the Sox. He has great stuff with the Dodgers. When Kopech is right, he dominates. And he's been dominating for almost two months now, as a member of both the Sox and the Dodgers. Not a popular take, but just sayin'.

The next great White Sox hope: Hagen Smith

Left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith, who the White Sox selected fifth overall in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, made his professional debut Saturday night as a member of the Class-A Winston-Salem Dash.

The outing went well.

The plan was for Smith to pitch three innings, and he did so successfully. He allowed no runs on two hits, with four strikeouts and no walks.

Smith retired the side in order in each of the first two innings before getting into a jam in the third. The Aberdeen IronBirds got both their hits off Smith in the third inning to place runners on second and third with only one out.

However, Smith rallied to strike out the final two batters of the inning to keep Aberdeen off the board.

The plan is for Smith to make two more starts for Winston-Salem. It sounds like he'll pitch on Saturdays and, once again, be scheduled to work three innings.

Smith is now the No. 32 prospect in baseball, according to MLB pipeline, so expect to see his highlights on Sox pre- and postgame shows. 

He will be sold as the next great White Sox hope amid an historically awful time for the franchise.

White Sox reach 100 losses ... on Aug. 25

Guaranteed Rate Field (Photo by Jason Bauman)

In their 124-year history, the White Sox have never won back-to-back anything. Not a back-to-back World Series. Not a back-to-back American League pennant. Not a back-to-back division title. Not even a back-to-back wild card berth.

But now the Sox (31-100) have lost 100 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in team history. They clinched that dubious milestone Sunday with a 9-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

What's remarkable about this is August isn't even over yet. We've still got a month of miserable baseball to go. The Sox reached 100 losses in only 131 games, which is the second fastest it's been done in the modern era. The 1916 Philadelphia Athletics were 29-100-1 after 130 games.

So, basically, what we're witnessing now is something no one still alive has ever seen. The Sox are chasing all sorts of history that nobody wants.

The American League record for losses in a season is 119, set by the 2003 Detroit Tigers. The Major League Baseball and National League record for losses in a season is 120, set by the 1962 New York Mets.

The Sox would need to go 12-19 in their remaining 31 games to avoid tying that record held by the Mets. If I'm being honest, I think it is a given they will set this record at this point.

They've only managed 31 wins in the first five months of the season. That's roughly six per month. Why would we think they could double that total and win 12 over the season's final month? It doesn't seem reasonable.

Some will point to the firing of incomprehensibly bad manager Pedro Grifol as a reason for hope. And indeed, Grifol earned his walking papers by posting a 28-89 record with this bunch, and that was on the heels of a 61-101 campaign in 2023.

However, the Sox are only 3-11 under interim manager Grady Sizemore. From a won-loss perspective, that's not an improvement over the Grifol era.

Sure, Sizemore has made some good changes in the way the roster is being deployed. He's finally gotten Gavin Sheets the hell out of right field. Andrew Vaughn and Sheets are sharing first base and designated hitter duties, as they should be.

Dominic Fletcher and Corey Julks are now platooning in right field. Neither is a long-term answer at the position, but at least they are actual outfielders who can play competent defense. In Fletcher's case, he's an exceptional defensive right fielder. Unfortunately, his bat has not come around. That said, Sizemore is deploying him in the correct fashion.

Newly acquired Miguel Vargas was moving from position to position and hitting too high in the lineup under Grifol. Now, Vargas is getting an everyday look at his best position: third base. And he's hitting seventh or eighth in the batting order, which is where he belongs. It's not going well. Vargas is 6 for 62 since joining the Sox, but it isn't because he isn't getting a fair shake from the manager.

The lineup construction has been consistent and reasonable. Nicky Lopez and Lenyn Sosa are being used as a platoon in the leadoff spot. Luis Robert Jr. is batting second, with Andrew Benintendi third, Vaughn fourth and Sheets fifth most days.

Brooks Baldwin, the rookie middle infielder, is batting ninth every day, instead of second or sixth, or whatever other stupid idea Grifol was coming up with day to day. The No. 9 spot is appropriate for Baldwin, who had played only eight Triple-A games before joining the Sox.

All that said, Sizemore isn't working any miracles here. I've seen some fans call for him to get the full-time managerial job for next season. I disagree. I understand that Sizemore is more likable than Grifol. He's easier to root for than Grifol. People, including me, would like to see him succeed.

But the fact is, the proper course of action is for the Sox to conduct a full managerial search this offseason. They must cast a wide net, interviewing both external and internal candidates for the position. Grifol is gone, but the losses are still mounting. To me, that's a clear sign that fresh voices are badly needed.

White Sox (finally) fire manager Pedro Grifol

The White Sox on Thursday fired manager Pedro Grifol. The move is akin to shutting the barn door after the horse has left, but at least the decision was finally made.

Grifol could have been fired last winter after he went 61-101 in his first season as manager. He could have been fired after a horrendous 3-22 start this season. He could have been fired after a franchise record-tying 14-game losing streak that started in late May and spanned into early June. He could have been fired at any point during the recent franchise record 21-game losing streak, which finally came to an end Tuesday with a 5-1 win at Oakland.

The Sox started a new losing streak Wednesday, and Grifol was fired on an off day in advance of Friday's opener of the crosstown series against the Cubs.

Thank goodness. Why does the failure have to get to such catastrophic levels before the Sox make a move? Who knows? 

The case against Grifol is an easy one to make: His won-loss record is terrible. The Sox are 28-89 this season, so Grifol finishes his tenure at an astounding 101 games below .500. He's 89-190. That will pencil out to a .319 winning percentage, in a sport where even bad teams typically win about 40% of their games.

It's hard to pinpoint anything Grifol did well. His in-game strategy was clearly terrible. You don't achieve this sort of losing by making smart decisions. The atmosphere in the clubhouse didn't seem like it was the best. Everyone on the Sox roster seems to be playing to their absolute floor, and we've seen players who have left Chicago suddenly play better on new teams -- Kevin Pillar, Michael Kopech, Tommy Pham, even Eloy Jimenez.

Grifol was also terrible with the press, routinely coming up with laughable quotes. Just last week, in a lame attempt to save his job with cheap flattery, Grifol called Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf "a winner," an "incredible owner" and an "incredible man," who "loves Chicago" and "loves these fans."

The part about Reinsdorf being a "winner" is demonstrably false. The man has owned the Sox for 43 years, and during that time, they've won only three playoff series. All in the same year. The other 42 seasons have not been characterized by winning. If Reinsdorf wants to win so badly, as many of his minions say, then why does he win so little?

Quotes like those are insulting to Chicago fans (we'll include the Bulls fans in this too), who absolutely despise Reinsdorf with every fiber of their being.

Read the room for once, Pedro. Or better yet, just take a hike. Sox fans never want to hear your voice again.

Bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third-base coach Eddie Rodriguez and assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar were also fired Thursday.

Montoyo was hired by former GM Rick Hahn, and Rodriguez and Tosar are longtime friends of Grifol. So, it appears that current Sox GM Chris Getz cleared the clubhouse of all Grifol allies.

He's going with Grady Sizemore as interim manager, who has been on the coaching staff in a vague role all season. The former Cleveland outfielder joined the Sox organization from the Arizona Diamondbacks, on the recommendation of Sox assistant GM Josh Barfield.

Doug Sissone (bench coach), Justin Jirschele (third-base coach) and Mike Gellinger (assistant hitting coach) have been added to the Sox coaching staff for the rest of the season.

Getz indicated that Sizemore's position is, indeed, interim. The Sox will conduct an external search this offseason for a new manager. Or so they say. But there will be plenty of time to talk about that in the weeks ahead. 

2024 White Sox become 7th team to lose 20 games in a row

The White Sox lost their 20th game in a row Sunday, as the Minnesota Twins scored eight runs in the first two innings and went on to beat the South Siders, 13-7.

Perhaps it was fitting that 20 runs were scored in the 20th consecutive loss, and the final out was made by No. 20 on the Sox roster -- newly acquired Miguel Vargas.

Here is the list of teams to accomplish this dubious feat:

• 1961 Philadelphia Phillies -- 23 straight losses
• 1988 Baltimore Orioles -- 21 straight losses
• 2024 White Sox -- 20 straight losses (and counting!)
• 1969 Montreal Expos -- 20 straight losses
• 1943 Philadelphia Athletics -- 20 straight losses
• 1916 Philadelphia Athletics -- 20 straight losses
• 1906 Boston Americans -- 20 straight losses
  

With this defeat, the Sox finish the season series against Minnesota with a record of 1-12. They also went 1-12 against the Kansas City Royals.

Overall against the "weak" American League Central Division, the Sox are 8-34.

The Sox are 60 games below .500 at 27-87. They are the first team to be 60 games below .500 on Aug. 4 since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who were 15-75 on Aug. 1 of that season -- and 16-78 on Aug. 4.

Yes, this is the worst team since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders.

The Sox are 0-16 since the All-Star break. They have been swept in six consecutive series. They are 0-65 when trailing after seven innings, and 0-71 when trailing after eight innings.

Pedro Grifol's managerial record is now 100 games below .500 at 88-188, yet he's traveling with the team to Oakland for this week's series against the Athletics. How many in a row must Grifol lose in order to get fired? 

My sister is the head coach of my nephew's youth baseball team. She's coaching 11- and 12-year-old boys, but I'm pretty sure if she lost 20 games in a row, she'd be pushed aside and replaced by a different coach.

Somehow, that doesn't happen with the White Sox, who are supposed to be playing Major League Baseball, where you're judged on wins and losses.

Alas, there is no accountability here. There is also no hope.

Maybe it's time to revisit this book

With the White Sox on their way to perhaps the worst season in modern history, perhaps it's time to give this book a read:

"A Season to Forget: The Story of the 1988 Baltimore Orioles" by Ron Snyder. The book tells the story of a team that started the season 0-21, despite having two Hall of Fame players on its roster.

That's pretty much where we're living right now -- talking about historic losing streaks and other atrocious teams that we've seen over our lifetimes.

What a time to be alive!

Maybe Pedro Grifol gets fired soon?

The White Sox have lost a franchise-record 17 games in a row after they absorbed a 10-3 thumping at the hands of the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Sox are now 27-74 (3-22 in July), and somehow, they have to get through the next 51 games without hurling themselves into a rip current in Lake Michigan.

Sox manager Pedro Grifol now has a record of 88-175 in his tenure with the team. That's a .335 winning percentage, and that's about as bad as it gets in the modern era.

I saw a tweet from beat reporter Vinnie Duber on Tuesday that caught my attention, and Duber later wrote this article about Grifol's job status.

During his trade deadline press availability, general manager Chris Getz was asked whether Grifol's job was safe for the rest of the season. Getz responded thusly:

“We just wrapped up the deadline. Just wanted to focus on that. We’ll get through tonight and kind of debrief and look through the players we acquired and move forward from there.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it? The Sox are introducing some younger players into the majors right now, and a reasonable person would expect that trend to continue for the rest of 2024.

Is the environment in the clubhouse conducive to player development? Is there any positive energy left amid this catastrophic, historic losing streak? 

Those are reasonable questions. If the answer to either is "no," then Grifol must go now. The Sox can't afford to wait until the end of the season. This is important development time for some players, and it cannot be wasted. 

Eloy Jimenez, Paul DeJong, Tanner Banks traded on deadline day

The Major League Baseball trade deadline has passed. Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. are still members of the White Sox.

Paul DeJong, Tanner Banks and, surprisingly, Eloy Jimenez are not.

Jimenez, the erstwhile 27-year-old "slugger" who hasn't homered since May 14, was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Triple-A lefty Trey McGough.

As per usual, injuries have limited Jimenez to 65 games this season. He's batting .240/.297/.345 with just five home runs and 16 RBIs. His bWAR is -0.7. His OPS+ is 81, which means he's 19% below league average.

Normally, I'm critical of the Sox for making salary dumps. This one, I'm fine with. I'm tired of Jimenez hitting grounders to the left side of the infield, not hitting for any power and being unable to run the bases hard. 

In recent days, I've described Jimenez as a DFA candidate. Moving on from him is a good idea.

DeJong was traded to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for low-A reliever Jarold Rosado.

Honestly, DeJong exceeded expectations with the Sox this season. He's batting .228/.275/.430, and he strikes out too much --- 112 Ks in 363 plate appearances. But that .430 slugging percentage plays for a guy who can stand in the middle infield. DeJong leads the Sox with 18 homers, and given that he's making $1.5 million on a one-year deal, that's not a bad return.

That said, he's not part of the Sox's long-term plan, so you get something in return when you can.

Banks, the 32-year-old lefty reliever, was 2-2 with a 4.13 ERA in 41 games this season. He's basically a replacement-level reliever, and contenders can never have too many bullpen arms.

Thus, Banks is on his way to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for 19-year-old infielder William Bergolla.

My take on Crochet and Robert Jr. staying put is simple: I'd rather see no trades than a bad trade. And I thought Monday's three-way deal that sent Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to the St. Louis Cardinals, and Michael Kopech to the Los Angeles Dodgers, was a bad trade for the Sox.

Ultimately, Miguel Vargas -- acquired from the Dodgers -- is the only player the Sox added who can potentially help them in 2025.

Where does that leave the Sox in the near future? The 2024 team is on pace to set a record for losses in the modern era. I haven't set foot in the ballpark this season, and it's possible I'll take the same stance in 2025. 

I'm struggling to see how this gets better. Maybe there will be some impactful trades in the offseason, but that's difficult to forecast because it takes another team to make a deal. The calvary isn't coming in free agency. With Sox attendance at a low -- they may not draw 1.3 million this year -- owner Jerry Reinsdorf isn't likely to spend money. 

Plus, if you're a free agent with multiple suitors, why would you sign with the Sox?

Nothing that has happened this week changes the outlook in a positive way. It looks bleak.

White Sox trade Erick Fedde, Michael Kopech, Tommy Pham in 3-team deal

Over the weekend, there was a lot of angst among White Sox fans because GM Chris Getz had not yet pulled the trigger on a trade deadline deal.

Be careful what you wish for. Getz made a three-team, eight-player trade Monday afternoon, and it was one that DID NOT energize the fan base in any way.

Here's what went down:

• The White Sox receive three prospects from the Los Angeles Dodgers: all-purpose player Miguel Vargas, infielder Alexander Albertus and infielder Jeral Perez.
• The St. Louis Cardinals receive pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham from the Sox. 
• The Dodgers receive relief pitcher Michael Kopech from the Sox, and utility player Tommy Edman and pitcher Oliver Gonzalez from the Cardinals.

Anyone else think the Cardinals made out very well here? Fedde, despite pitching for a team that was 54 games below .500 entering Monday's play, has a 7-4 record with a 3.11 ERA. Frankly, he deserved to make the American League All-Star team this season, but he had to get in line behind Garrett Crochet, and was left off the roster because it's hard to justify a team as bad as the Sox getting two All-Star representatives.

Pham played 70 games with the Sox this season and batted .266/.330/.380 with five home runs, 14 doubles and 19 RBIs. In his age-36 season, he's basically a league-average hitter and can probably still make contributions to a contending team when used in the right role.

For those two players, St. Louis gave up Edman, who has been hurt all season, and Gonzalez, a 17-year-old who is pitching in the Dominican Summer League.

Despite Kopech's pedestrian numbers -- 2-8 with a 4.74 ERA -- the Dodgers are looking at his strikeout rate, which has been above 30% all season, and thinking they can turn him into a viable bullpen piece. Good luck. Maybe Kopech thrives with a change of scenery.

What are the Sox getting here? Salary relief, of course. That's Jerry Reinsdorf's favorite type of deal. Fedde, Pham and Kopech are all off the books, while Albertus and Perez are both 19-year-olds who will report to Class-A Kannapolis.

Perez has an .800 OPS this season at Low-A Rancho Cucamonga. He's hitting .264/.380/.420 with 10 homers and 42 RBIs. OK, that's not bad.

Albertus, also at Rancho Cucamonga, has batted .229/.317/.329 with a homer and 16 RBIs in a limited sample of 82 plate appearances.

But, even in the best of circumstances, these players are years away from having a chance to contribute in the major leagues. And after the past five or so seasons as a Sox fan, you won't catch me "dreaming on" prospects, ever.

Vargas, meanwhile, will be in the big leagues immediately, although I will keep my expectations modest. The 24-year-old has appeared in 30 games with the Dodgers this season, batting .239/.313/.423 with three homers and nine RBIs.

Looking a little deeper, it looks like Vargas might be a platoon partner for somebody. As a right-handed hitter, he hits lefties -- an .864 OPS. His OPS against right-handers is .599. Look for him to get playing time at either corner outfield spot and first base.

So, in summary, the Sox traded a pretty good mid-rotation starter in Fedde for a platoon bat and two lottery tickets. And some salary relief! Forgive me for not being excited.

Report: A.J. Pierzynski a candidate to manage White Sox in 2025

This is a long article from Bob Nightengale, so you'll have to scroll a little bit. But way down toward the bottom, this paragraph is enough to get the attention of any White Sox fan:

"Former All-Star catcher A.J. Pierzynski has quietly emerged as a serious candidate to manage the Chicago White Sox in 2025 if they dismiss manager Pedro Grifol after the season, as expected."

Oh boy.

You know somewhere in the offices at 35th and Shields, they are saying, "Let's hire one of the heroes of 2005 to manage the club and get the fans back on our side!" 

Indeed, Pierzynski is a beloved figure on the South Side. I have a No. 12 jersey hanging in my closet from back in the day, in fact.

The problem is, Sox fans have seen a movie like that before. Go back to Robin Ventura's managerial tenure from 2012 to 2016. Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf brings back a revered player, but doesn't give him much of a team to manage. The revered former player fails and weakens his legacy.

When Ventura's name comes up, we don't just describe him as the greatest third baseman in team history -- which he is. We also describe him as a bad manager. It's unfortunate that we have to add that footnote.

I'd prefer not to see something like that happen to Pierzynski.

I know what you're saying: Hiring former player Ozzie Guillen worked out OK for the Sox, right? That 2005 World Series banner will fly forever. True, but remember, Guillen was on the coaching staff of the 2003 Florida Marlins, also a world champion, right before the Sox hired him. 

Guillen was in the game, having success as a coach. Pierzynski has not been in the game since he retired as a player after the 2016 season. He's a broadcaster and a podcaster -- and a damn good one. He doesn't need to manage the Sox, and there's no indication he's ready for such a job.

With this ownership and this front office, can anyone succeed as Sox manager?

Just say tell them "no," A.J.

Dylan Cease throws no-hitter for San Diego Padres

Perhaps my most enjoyable moment of the 2024 baseball season occurred Thursday afternoon. No, it wasn't anything pertaining to the White Sox losing their 11th consecutive game.  

Actually, I turned the Sox game off to watch former Chicago ace Dylan Cease pursue history. Much to my delight, Cease finished off his first career no-hitter, as the San Diego Padres defeated the Washington Nationals, 3-0.

The 28-year-old right-hander threw a career-high 114 pitches, striking out nine and walking three. Sox fans probably recall that Cease previously came within one out of a no-hitter on Sept. 3, 2022, against the Minnesota Twins.

I was in attendance at that game. Unfortunately, Minnesota's Luis Arraez broke up that bid with a single to right-center. Cease then struck out Kyle Garlick to finish off a one-hit shutout. Even though the Sox won that game resoundingly, I remember being so disappointed leaving the stadium and walking back to my car.

Even though Cease no longer pitches for my favorite team, I was nervous for him when he got to two outs in the ninth. When Washington's CJ Abrams hit a soft liner to right field, I think I yelled at the TV, "Catch it! Catch it!"

Sure enough, San Diego right fielder Bryce Johnson made the play for the final out.

Cease is now 10-8 with a 3.50 ERA for the Padres this season. As usual, he's been durable, making 22 starts to this point. His numbers may not be spectacular, but they are solid. I imagine San Diego is happy it acquired him in a five-player deal with the Sox shortly before this season began.

In recent starts, it seems as though Cease has regained the dominance he had in 2022, when he finished second in the American League in Cy Young voting. 

Over his past three outings, Cease is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA. Hard to beat that, right? He's thrown 22 innings in that span, and he's given up a grand total of two hits. 

No, that's not a misprint. He's given up only two hits in his past three starts, striking out 30 and walking only four. Just outstanding.

Sarah Langs tweeted Thursday that Cease has six outings this season of six-plus innings with zero or one hit allowed. That's two more than anyone else in a season since 1901, Langs wrote.

When Cease is on, good luck to opposing batters.

It's really sad for Sox fans that they don't get to enjoy his top-level pitching anymore. But hey, how about Drew Thorpe? At least the main guy the Sox got in the Cease deal has pitched well as a rookie, having totaled five consecutive quality starts.

But that's still not as fun as a no-hitter, you know?

Luis Robert Jr. or Garrett Crochet? You can only keep one

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is July 30. For the second straight season, the White Sox will be active sellers. As many as seven or eight players could be somewhere other than Chicago by this time next week.

Of course, the two biggest potential trade chips are left-handed All-Star pitcher Garrett Crochet and center fielder Luis Robert Jr.

We don't have a crystal ball here at The Baseball Kid, so we won't pretend to know what comes next. Both Robert and Crochet could be dealt, or both of them could still be here for the final two months of the season.

But, as a hypothetical exercise, if you could only keep one of Robert and Crochet, and you had to trade the other, who would you keep? 

Conventional wisdom would probably say keep the position player, not the starting pitcher. After all, your center fielder plays every day, and theoretically, he can lift you to victory at any given time. Your ace starter plays only once every five days. Therefore, there's only so much impact he can make.

So, keep Robert, right? After all, he's the only player on the Sox who is competent both offensively and defensively.

I understand that point, but I'm going to go against the grain here. I'd keep Crochet.

Power lefties such as Crochet are hard to come by. He just turned 25 years old. He's already gotten his inevitable Tommy John surgery out of the way, and he looks like a guy who is going to be in Cy Young contention over the next few years.

He's really surprised me in his first full year as a starting pitcher. Despite all the talk of innings limits, he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, 21 outings into his season. He leads the American League in strikeouts with 157, and he's second in baseball behind some guy named Dylan Cease (159 Ks). Remember him?

But I digress. The other thing I like about Crochet is he has a WHIP of 0.970 in 111.1 innings. For a starting pitcher to have a WHIP under 1.00, that's really impressive. And he has only 25 walks against those 157 strikeouts. That's a 6.28 strikeout-to-walk ratio. I like pitchers who throw strikes, strike people out and don't put many people on base.

Pitchers like that are cornerstones, not trade chips.

I can hear you know, "Oh, but Jerry Reinsdorf will never sign him."

Let me say this as gently as possible: Screw Jerry. Too many fans are OK with the Sox making bad baseball decisions because Jerry is a cheap old miser who is too evil to die.

Crochet still has two more years of team control. You don't have to sign him or trade him now. So don't force the issue.

What about Robert, you say? Well, he's still a prodigious talent, but the combination of injuries and poor decision-making on the field -- especially his swing decisions at the plate -- has given me pause about whether he's really a player you build around.

Robert finally played a full season -- 145 games -- in 2023, and he had a breakout year, delivering 38 home runs. But that's the only season of his career in which he's topped 100 games.

A strained hip flexor caused him to miss two months here in 2024. He was playing in just his 49th game of the season Wednesday night against the Texas Rangers. In his first 48 games, he put up a pedestrian slash line of .227/.300/.464. 

Sure, he's got 12 homers, and he'll wow you with that power. And when he's focused in the field, he's a Gold Glove center fielder. But with the team out of the pennant race, we've seen some terrible defensive lapses from him, and he's still swinging at a lot of pitches out of the zone. When is he going to fix that weakness? Maybe never.

Robert has struck out a remarkable 67 times through his first 48 games. When he's right at the plate, he's something to watch, but when he's off, he's prone to long slumps, and he's basically an automatic out.

On a good team, Robert is somebody who bats sixth and maybe finishes off a rally with an extra-base hit. He can certainly help a team, but for me, he's not THE GUY.

Crochet is trending toward being THE GUY in a starting rotation, and that's why I'd keep him over Robert if I had to choose one.

Happy 4th of July from The Baseball Kid

 

Futility marks in sight as White Sox hit halfway mark

The White Sox hit the halfway point of this miserable season Tuesday with a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The loss leaves the Sox at 21-60. The great thing about the halfway point of the season is it becomes easy math to figure out what pace teams and players are on -- simply multiply by two.

That means the Sox are on pace to go 42-120 this season.

Old-timers will recall that the 1970 White Sox hold the franchise record for losses in a season. That team went 56-106.

That means the Sox would need to go 35-46 in the second half of the season just to equal the worst club in the 124-year history of the franchise.

Do you see that happening? Nope, me neither.

The worst team in modern baseball history was the 1962 New York Mets. They were an expansion team that went 40-120. 

The worst team in my lifetime, which dates back to 1976, was the 2003 Detroit Tigers. They went 43-119.

Basically, the Sox are a mortal lock to become the worst team in franchise history, and they are right on pace to finish in the same ballpark with the 1962 Mets and the 2003 Tigers -- the two worst clubs that anyone alive has seen.

I've heard some Sox fans say they want the team to set these futility records, so that this level of losing becomes part of owner Jerry Reinsdorf's legacy.

I understand that perspective, but here's the thing: Reinsdorf doesn't care, and he'll be dead pretty soon. This isn't going to stick to him.

But if you're a Sox fan, if indeed this team loses 120 games or more, you'll be hearing about this for the rest of your life. 

I think it's going to happen, but I'd rather not see it. There's no particular benefit to setting a record for most losses. Would it humiliate Reinsdorf into running the franchise better? I don't believe so.

Pedro Grifol's presence is proof that Jerry Reinsdorf has given up

Does anyone have a good baseball reason why Pedro Grifol is still employed as White Sox manager? 

The Sox lost again Thursday afternoon, 5-3 to the Houston Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field. That drops their 2024 record to 20-56. 

This, on the heels of last year's 61-101 campaign. That leaves Grifol with a 81-157 record, which will pencil out to a less-than-robust .340 winning percentage. 

There's a temptation to say it can't get any worse, except it can, and it will -- because Grifol still has a job and will probably remain Sox manager for the remainder of this godawful season.

Bob Nightengale isn't necessarily my favorite national baseball writer, but we've seen through the years that his information on the Sox is pretty good. When it comes to the thinking in the front office on the South Side, you can trust Nightengale.

I've got the print edition of his recent column by my side, and here's what he wrote:

"The White Sox believe it would make no sense to bring in and pay another manager when the team’s fate isn’t going to change no matter who’s in the dugout. Grifol is in the second year of a three-year contract for about $3 million. The White Sox are expected to reassess this winter to determine whether a managerial change is needed."

"The team's fate isn't going to change no matter who's in the dugout."

OK, it is true that the roster is bad, trades are coming, and this team is going to lose more than it wins the rest of the season. That point is not in dispute.

But those of us who watch this team daily are tired of seeing the lethargic, sloppy play under Grifol. Defense was a huge point of emphasis this offseason. Guess what? The Sox rank last in baseball in defensive runs saved. The baserunning and situational hitting remain terrible. These are the things we were told would improve. If anything, they've gotten worse.

There are 86 games left in the season. That means there are 86 chances for the Sox to get better. No, the overall record isn't going to be good at the end of the year, but what sense does it make to squander this time playing under the direction of a "leader" who has proven that he cannot get the best out of his players? What exactly is Grifol going to improve?

What we're witnessing right now is not Major League Baseball, yet the Sox continue to charge the fans Major League prices for tickets. No wonder nobody is going. I haven't been to a game this season, and I have no intention of going. It's a waste of time and money.

And for the record, I've attended 366 Sox games over the past 19 years. So I don't want hear any shit about how "fair-weather" Sox fans supposedly are. I've sat through plenty of losing games and losing seasons, but the breaking point comes when the team stops trying.

Grifol's presence here is proof that owner Jerry Reinsdorf has given up. I'm not even blaming general manager Chris Getz for the lack of change on the bench. I think Getz wants to fire Grifol, but Reinsdorf won't let him because that would require "paying two managers" or whatever.

What fans want is an acknowledgement that team brass sees what we see, and that's an effort that is completely and utterly unacceptable on most days. 

This is a disgrace of a team, yet the Sox are sitting there saying, "No point in changing anything. We suck regardless. Oh well."

If the Sox don't care, why should you or I?

3 straight good outings for Jonathan Cannon

Jonathan Cannon received his first opportunity to pitch in the big leagues in April. It did not go well.

The 23-year-old right-hander made three starts for the White Sox during his initial recall, going 0-1 with a 7.24 ERA. He allowed 11 runs on 20 hits over 13.2 innings pitched.

He was sent back to Triple-A Charlotte, where he made a couple of changes to his grip on his sinker and changeup. The result has been more velocity on his sinker, and more downward action on his change.

Since being recalled to Chicago earlier this month, Cannon has had three straight good outings.

He earned his first career save June 7 against Boston, when he tossed three shutout innings with four strikeouts in a 7-2 win over the Red Sox.

Cannon returned to the starting rotation June 12 at Seattle. He threw seven innings of one-run ball, allowing only four hits -- including a solo home run in the seventh -- with seven strikeouts and one walk. That resulted in a no-decision as the Sox lost, 2-1, in 10 innings.

Then came Tuesday, when the former third-round draft pick fired 8.2 shutout innings against the Houston Astros. He allowed seven hits, but only one walk, with four strikeouts. Seventy of his 106 pitches were for strikes, and he picked up his first career win as the Sox prevailed, 2-0.

This game very easily could have been a complete-game shutout. Cannon retired the first two batters he faced in the top of the ninth inning, and he was one out away from finishing it off. Alas, a check-swing single by Jon Singleton and a ground ball with eyes off the bat of Mauricio Dubon put the tying runs on base for Houston with two outs.

At that point, Sox manager Pedro Grifol made a pitching change, with a chorus of boos cascading down upon him. Grifol has been rightfully criticized for many things, but this was the correct move. You don't let Cannon lose the game after how well he pitched, and John Brebbia is paid $5 million per season to get outs in relief.

Indeed, Brebbia retired Victor Caratini on a routine grounder to first base to earn his second save of the season.

Now, it's worth noting that Cannon faced a compromised Houston lineup that was missing its two biggest left-handed bats: Yordan Alvarez (personal reasons) and Kyle Tucker (leg contusion). It's also worth noting that it's only three outings, and all the usual caveats about small sample sizes apply.

But, Cannon is the first Sox pitching prospect to do much of anything with an opportunity so far in this lackluster season. Since his recall, he has an 0.52 ERA, and his season ERA is down to a respectable 3.34.

Is it possible that the changes he's made to his sinker and changeup will make him a viable big-league starter? Or is this just a hot streak from a fringe player?

At least it's something to monitor and talk about with the Sox (20-54) hopelessly buried in the standings.

Off-days not advantageous for White Sox

The White Sox did not play Monday. It is their 11th off-day of the season.

Seven of those 10 off-days were scheduled -- March 29, April 11, April 18, May 2, May 16, May 30 and June 3.

Three of those off-days occurred because of postponements -- April 3, April 16 and May 13.

Here are the results for the next game after each of those 10 off-days:

• March 30, 7-6 loss to Detroit
• April 4, 10-1 loss at Kansas City 
• April 12, 11-1 loss to Cincinnati
• April 17, 4-2 loss to Kansas City
• April 19, 7-0 loss at Philadelphia 
• May 3, 3-0 loss at St. Louis 
• May 14, 6-3 loss to Washington 
• May 17, 4-2 loss at N.Y. Yankees 
• May 31, 12-5 loss at Milwaukee
• June 4, 7-6 loss at Cubs 

Notice the pattern? Yes, it's 10 consecutive losses. The Sox are 0-10 the day after they've been given a day of rest. They've been outscored 71-26 in those games. 

Keep that in mind next time Sox announcer John Schriffen tries to tell you the team will benefit from a day off to "recharge the batteries."

The Sox will try to break this strange skid Tuesday, when they open a three-game series against the Houston Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Memorial Day 2024

As a former White Sox announcer would say, make it a safe and reflective one.

 

When 'just play the kids' doesn't work ...

White Sox fans have been screaming into the void on social media, calling for the team to discard veterans and "just play the kids."

It's understandable, because the team is 20 games below .500 on May 22. The Sox are going nowhere fast in 2024, and it's time to look ahead to 2025 and beyond.

Nobody wants to watch dead-end veterans such as Mike Clevinger, Chris Flexen and the recently DFA'd Brad Keller start games for the Sox. Hell, I don't want to watch these guys, either.

Those types of pitchers are short-timers. They won't be in the majors much longer, and they are just here to eat innings and cross days off the calendar.

Those players are here because "the kids" aren't ready. Fans who wanted to see rookie right-hander Nick Nastrini pitch got their wish Wednesday night, and boy, that did not go well.

Nastrini gave up seven runs in the second inning, plus two more in the fourth, in a 9-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

His final line was brutal: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 6 BB, 0 K, 1 HR. 

Six walks and no strikeouts? My goodness, it was like the Blue Jays knew what was coming. This is the type of performance that can kill a young pitcher's confidence. 

It sounds as though Nastrini will get another start next Monday, against Toronto once again. Let's keep in mind, the Blue Jays are in last place in the AL East. It's not *that* difficult of an assignment. If Nastrini gets bombed again, I'm not going to be able to make a case for him to stay in the bigs.

If he has to go back to Triple-A, get ready for more Michael Soroka in the rotation, like it or not. That's what happens when you don't have any "kids" who are ready to pitch in Chicago. 

Eloy Jimenez injured again

In a bit of news that should surprise absolutely no one, White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez injured himself running the bases Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Jimenez doubled in the top of the fifth inning and was the trail runner in a second-and-third, two-out situation. Corey Julks singled to center field, which meant Jimenez had to sprint 180 feet to score a run.

He did indeed score the run, but he started limping as he approached home plate. Diagnosis: left hamstring strain. The Sox provided no further updates after their 5-0 victory over the Blue Jays, but would anyone be shocked if this results in Jimenez landing on the 10-day injured list? Certainly not.

I've heard some people express hope that Jimenez could be traded for something of value this summer, but I just don't see it. Perhaps the Sox could get salary relief in return -- Jerry Reinsdorf's favorite thing -- but put yourself in the shoes of a GM for a contending team.

Are you going to acquire Jimenez with the hope that he can stay healthy and provide a boost to help put your team over the top? 

NO!!!!

That would be delusional.

The Sox did snap their four-game losing streak Tuesday night. They scored all five of their runs with two outs. Nicky Lopez had an RBI single in the second inning. Julks had the aforementioned two-run single in the fifth. Danny Mendick's two-run double in the eighth capped the scoring.

That made a winner of Garrett Crochet, who moved to 5-4 and took the staff lead in victories. He worked six shutout innings, allowing only two hits. He stuck out four and walked one.

The Sox are 15-34.

Maybe home runs are important, huh?

The White Sox are 0-4 through the first four games of their six-game road trip to New York and Toronto. They've been outscored 26-8, but perhaps more notably, they've been out-homered 10-2.

Let's take a look under the hood:

Yankees 4, White Sox 2. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit solo homers for the Yankees. The Sox did not homer. The Yankees scored two more runs than the Sox with the long ball and won the game by two runs.

Yankees 6, White Sox 1. Juan Soto hit two solo homers for the Yankees. Stanton and Jose Trevino also hit solo homers for the Yankees. The Sox did not homer. The Yankees scored four more runs than the Sox with the long ball and won the game by five runs.

Yankees 7, White Sox 2. The Yankees got a 3-run homer from Jon Berti and a 2-run homer from Judge. The Sox got a solo shot from Corey Julks. The Yankees scored four more runs than the Sox with the long ball and won the game by five runs.

Blue Jays 9, White Sox 3. The Blue Jays got 2-run homers from Daulton Varsho and Danny Jansen. The Sox got a solo home run from Paul DeJong. The Jays scored three more runs than the Sox with the long ball and won the game by six runs.

In every one of these losses, home runs (or lack thereof) played a significant role. We cannot be surprised by the outcome of the New York series. The Yankees (33-16) have the best record in the American League, and perhaps not coincidentally, they entered Monday leading the league in home runs with 68.

The Blue Jays ranked 14th out of the 15 AL teams entering Monday with 37 homers, but that didn't stop them from going deep twice against the Sox. 

Who ranks last in the AL? The Sox, of course. They've hit only 34 homers as a team.

It doesn't help that Luis Robert Jr. has been limited to just seven games (and two homers) by injury. But Eloy Jimenez and Andrew Vaughn are supposed to be power sources for this team. We are 48 games into the season, and Jimenez has only five homers. Vaughn has three.

DeJong is a the surprise team leader with seven homers, followed by Jimenez and Korey Lee(!) with four.

The whole problem is made worse by the Sox going 5 for 31 with runners in scoring position so far on the road trip. If you can't hit homers and you can't "move runners along," then how can you score?

Obviously, the Sox have a lot of work to do in rebuilding their team. Let's hope they remember that home runs are important.

After all, the top two teams in the AL right now in terms of record -- the Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles -- happen to be the top two teams in home runs. Just sayin'.

Here's why the Sox shouldn't trade Garrett Crochet

White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet has now pitched 10 games this season, his first as a member of the starting rotation after beginning his career as a reliever.

Results have been mixed. Crochet is 4-4 with a 4.18 ERA. On the surface, that's mediocre, but if you dig a little deeper, you can see that Crochet has been good, then bad, and then good again. He's had the league adjust to him, and he's adjusted back.

Let's look at the numbers:

• First 3 starts: 1-1 W-L, 18 innings, 11 hits, 4 R, 4 ER, 21 Ks, 1 BB, 2.00 ERA
• Starts 4-6: 0-3 W-L, 11.2 innings, 16 hits, 17 R, 17 ER, 19 Ks, 7 BBs, 13.11 ERA
• Starts 7-10: 3-0 W-L, 22 innings, 13 hits, 3 R, 3 ER, 30 Ks, 4 BBs, 1.23 ERA

Add it all up, and Crochet is the American League leader in strikeouts with 70. He's done that across 51.2 innings.

In his most recent start, Crochet threw five scoreless innings to pick up the win in a 2-0 White Sox victory over the Washington Nationals.

With each passing successful outing, I've seen more and more people suggest the Sox flip Crochet for prospects at the July trade deadline. They note that Crochet began his career the same year he was drafted -- in 2020 -- so the team only has him under control through the 2026 season.

The argument goes that the Sox will not contend within that time frame, so it makes the most sense to trade him now for futures.

I understand the argument. I just disagree. The main reason is, I don't think Crochet will fetch the Sox premium value in a trade right now.

It's important to note, Crochet's career high in innings is 54.1. He's going to blow by that in his next start. This is May 17. There are still four months left in the season. 

Who knows whether Crochet can make all his starts the rest of this season? He's never done it before, and even if he does hold up physically, it's anyone's guess what quality of innings he will provide a team in August and September.

If you're a contending team looking to acquire starting pitching, sure, a 24-year-old Crochet in his current form is appealing. But are you going to pay top prospects to acquire him when you have no clue whether he can maintain that form for the rest of the season?

Probably not.

And if you're the Sox, if you cannot acquire top prospects for Crochet, then why trade him? 

Maybe Crochet spends the rest of this season proving that he IS a starting pitcher. If he does, then the Sox should go into 2025 with him as an anchor in their rotation, and if the team is indeed not contending, you might find that he'd have even more value in a trade about this time next season.

White Sox trade Robbie Grossman to Texas for pitching prospect

The White Sox sell-off of veterans players has begun, perhaps a little earlier than anticipated.

Outfielder Robbie Grossman was traded to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, in exchange for Double-A pitching prospect Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa.

Grossman, 34, batted .211/.329/.268 in 25 games with the Sox. He stood out in the free-swinging Sox lineup as one of the few guys who was willing to take a walk. He drew 13 walks in 85 plate appearances, and he saw 4.45 pitches per plate appearance.

That being said, Grossman was without a home run and had only four doubles, a far cry from his 23-homer peak with the Detroit Tigers in 2021.

Hoopii-Tuionetoa, 23, is a right-handed reliever from Hawaii. He was pitching at Double-A Frisco, where he made 10 appearances this season. He was 1-0 with 0.73 ERA. He had 16 strikeouts and four walks across 12.1 innings pitched. Reports say he's a fastball-slider pitcher, with his fastball velocity averaging about 96 mph.

He will report to Double-A Birmingham.

Texas rookie Wyatt Langford just hit the injured list, so that created a need for another outfielder on the Rangers roster. Grossman was with the Rangers last season when they won the World Series, so they know him, and they know he still has one above-average skill -- his ability to work counts and get on base.

This makes sense for the Sox, too, as Grossman's usefulness was likely to run out once Luis Robert Jr. comes off the injured list. Robert will eventually return to his usual spot in center field, with Tommy Pham shifting over to right field. That would leave Grossman without a role, so perhaps it's best to move him now. The Sox now have turned him into a relief prospect that they can try to develop. Nothing wrong with that.

White Sox 4, Rays 1

Chris Flexen pitched six innings of one-run ball, and Paul DeJong hit a 2-run homer as the Sox salvaged the final game of a three-game series Wednesday night, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1.

The Sox trailed 1-0 after four innings, before DeJong put them ahead to stay with his team-leading fifth home run of the season in the top of the fifth.

Rookie Bryan Ramos and Pham added RBI singles in the top of the sixth inning, as the Sox lengthened their lead to 4-1.

Flexen (2-3) allowed only three hits during his season-best outing. He struck out eight and walked one. Three Sox relievers combined for three scoreless innings, with Michael Kopech getting three outs in the ninth for his third save of the season. 

The Sox are 9-28 after completing a 3-3 road trip to St. Louis and Tampa Bay. They will host Cleveland in a four-game set starting Thursday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Mike Clevinger's 2024 debut a brutal one

Two things are true about Mike Clevinger: 1) He's a pariah among White Sox fans. 2) He was the most reliable Sox starting pitcher in 2023.

While pitching for a team that was 40 games below .500 last season, Clevinger compiled a respectable 9-9 record with a 3.77 ERA. Still, questions about his off-field character continue to dog him, and he found no takers in free agency over the winter.

The Sox, who are severely lacking in credible starting pitchers, signed him to a one-year deal after the season had already started, on April 4.

Clevinger completed a monthlong ramp-up in the minor leagues, and with reliever Dominic Leone going on the injured list with back tightness, Clevinger was activated to start Monday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.

It did not go well.

Clevinger was expected to throw 80-90 pitches. Instead, he threw only 54. He lasted two-plus innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits. He struck out nobody, getting only one swing-and-miss during the outing, and walked four.

The Sox lost, 8-2.

This was pretty brutal. Clevinger's purpose is to be a starting pitcher who can get the game into the sixth or seventh inning. The Sox's overtaxed bullpen sorely needs that. 

The pitcher we saw Monday night looked like someone who isn't ready to pitch in the majors. Clevinger will need to be much better his next time out.

The Sox are 8-27. There are 127 more games of this crud.