White Sox designate pitcher Jose Ruiz for assignment

The White Sox on Friday designated relief pitcher Jose Ruiz for assignment and selected the contract of right-hander Jesse Scholtens from Triple-A Charlotte.

Ruiz, who has made 177 relief appearances with the Sox from 2018 to present, was off to a terrible start this season. He's been in four games, allowing nine runs, eight hits, four walks, two HBPs and three home runs over 3.2 innings pitched.

The season ERA for Ruiz? 22.09, which is higher than the 21.60 ERA posted by utility infielder Hanser Alberto in his two pitching appearances.

That will get you designated for assignment.

Scholtens, who just turned 29 on Thursday, has never pitched in the majors before. He was a ninth-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres in 2016. Up until this year, he had been in the Padres organization.

He made one start with Charlotte this week, giving up four earned runs in four innings. He's stretched out as a starter, so that means he can work in long relief for the Sox. That's a role that is needed right now.

Through seven games, the Sox have received only one quality start -- Dylan Cease on opening night. With starters failing to go any deeper than five innings in games, the Sox bullpen has been taxed early. They need a guy who can give them multiple innings in relief.

Scholtens is getting the opportunity. We'll see what he does with it.

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.

White Sox embarrass themselves in home opener

Once upon a time, the day the White Sox began their home schedule was one of my favorite days of the year. Today, however, was just another Monday. Nothing more, nothing less. I never considered attending today's game.

I wasn't interested in going. I'm sick of the organization. I'm sick of all the big talk and no results. I don't like the owner. I don't like the front office. I don't like the players. I'm not excited about the season. I'm completely ready to move on from this era of Sox baseball. 

There was no reason for me to take a day off work to watch more slop, especially because the home opener is about a $200 investment. 

Sitting this one out was a good decision, as the San Francisco Giants pounded seven home runs and embarrassed the Sox, 12-3, at Guaranteed Rate Field.

I'm really happy I chose not to light $200 on fire by going to this game.

Michael Kopech pitched a terrible game for the Sox. He went 4.2 innings and allowed seven earned runs on eight hits, including five homers. He gave up four home runs in the top of the fifth inning alone. He exited the game trailing 7-0.

The Sox got two runs back in the seventh, highlighted by Andrew Vaughn's RBI double. They made it 7-3 in the eighth on Luis Robert Jr.'s second home run of the season.

However, the Giants put it away by blasting reliever Jose Ruiz for two more homers and five runs in the ninth. We've heard a lot of talk this spring about Ruiz pitching well for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, and how he's "ready" for more high-leverage work.

Well, right now, Ruiz is so bad that he's a candidate for release. He's given up seven earned runs in two innings across three appearances so far this season. The guy is 28 years old, and he's been with the Sox since 2018. Let's be honest about who he is: He's the 12th or 13th guy on a pitching staff on a mediocre team. Don't expect him to suddenly morph into a trusted relief option.

The ninth inning got so bad, in fact, that utility infielder Hanser Alberto had to come off the bench to pitch and record the last two outs.

That's right: The Sox had a position player pitching because they got their asses totally kicked in their home opener.

The game did not sell out, and you can't blame fans for not showing up.

The Sox are 2-3 so far this season.

How does White Sox bullpen shape up heading into spring training?

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn famously said at the start of the offseason that the trade market would be "more fruitful" for the team than free agency this winter.

To this point, that statement is false. The Sox have not made any impact acquisitions via trade this offseason, but they did swing a minor deal over the weekend. The South Siders picked up right-handed reliever Franklin German from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for relief pitching prospect Theo Denlinger.

German, 25, was Boston's Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season. He made a combined 43 relief appearances between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, going 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA, seven saves and 64 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. 

He was rewarded with a late-season audition in Boston, which did not go so well. He allowed eight earned runs in four innings over five appearances. German was designated for assignment in late January. The White Sox likely put a waiver claim in on him, and that led to this trade.

Scouting reports say German is a fastball-slider pitcher, with his heater topping out around 97 mph. This is a depth acquisition. It wouldn't be a surprise if German spends most of the season at Triple-A Charlotte, while getting a recall at some point when the big league club needs an extra arm.

So, how does the Sox bullpen look going into spring training? We know Liam Hendriks will be missing. He's out indefinitely while he undergoes treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We should also expect Garrett Crochet to miss the start of the season as he continues his recovery from elbow surgery.

There are eight spots available in the bullpen. Assuming good health (a big assumption with this group), here's how things look right now:

Roster locks (5)

• RHP Kendall Graveman
• RHP Joe Kelly
• LHP Aaron Bummer
• RHP Reynaldo Lopez
• LHP Jake Diekman

Likely to make the roster (2)

• RHP Jose Ruiz
• RHP Jimmy Lambert

Others in competition (7)

• RHP Nick Avila
• RHP A.J. Alexy
• LHP Tanner Banks
• RHP Matt Foster
• RHP Franklin German
• RHP Gregory Santos
• LHP Bennett Sousa

Non-roster invitees to watch (3)

• RHP Keynan Middleton
• RHP Jesse Scholtens
• LHP Nate Fisher

A few notes to bring up here: Ruiz is out of options, so he'll probably stick with the club unless he has a disastrous spring. Lambert had a strong season last year after converting from starting pitcher to reliever, but his historical inconsistency makes me reluctant to make him a "roster lock." That said, a decent spring should be good enough for him to break with the team.

If those top seven guys are all healthy and functioning, that leaves only one spot open. Avila figures to be the odds-on favorite, as he is a Rule 5 draftee. If he doesn't stick on the Opening Day roster, the Sox have to offer him back to the San Francisco Giants. The guess here is he'll be given every opportunity to stick.

Banks is the likely choice if the Sox decide they'd like a third lefty in the bullpen. Alexy is most likely going to be stretched out as starting pitching depth, but you never know. If he shows well enough, he could be kept on the roster as a swing man. 

We've seen Foster succeed sporadically in the past. He's split his time between Chicago and Triple-A Charlotte over the past two seasons. However, he may have been passed by on the depth chart with the offseason acquisitions of Santos and German.

This is one area of the roster where the Sox seem to have some depth. They will no doubt miss Hendriks and Crochet, who are the most dominant relief arms on the 40-man roster. But they have options to try if whatever their Plan A is doesn't succeed.

White Sox avoid arbitration with 5 players

Dylan Cease

As you may recall, the White Sox began the offseason with eight arbitration-eligible players.

They reduced that number to five by non-tendering infielder Danny Mendick and outfielder Adam Engel, and outrighting relief pitcher Kyle Crick.

Mendick signed with the New York Mets. Engel is now a member of the San Diego Padres. Crick remains a free agent.

Here's a look at the other five players who are still with the Sox and have their 2023 salary settled, after agreements were announced last Friday:

1. Dylan Cease. In his first year of arbitration eligibility, Cease will make $5.7 million, which is slightly higher than the MLB Trade Rumors projection of $5.3 million. The right-hander is coming off a season in which he finished second in the AL Cy Young award voting. Cease went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and a career-best 227 strikeouts in 32 starts and 184 innings pitched. Last year's AL Cy Young award winner, Justin Verlander, has since signed with a National League team, so Cease enters 2023 on the short list of preseason Cy Young award candidates.

2. Lucas Giolito. Giolito is in his last year of arbitration eligibility, and his $10.4 million 2023 salary is probably less than he envisioned for himself at this time. His MLB Trade Rumors projection was $10.8 million. However, the right-hander is coming off a down 2022 season. He was 11-9 with a 4.90 ERA in his 30 starts, a profile that is less than league average. Giolito had finished sixth, seventh and 11th in the Cy Young voting the previous three seasons, so 2022 was a huge step back for him. This coming season is a crucial year for him. He's a free agent next offseason, and his future earnings hinge on his performance in 2023.

3. Reynaldo Lopez. After three years of inconsistent performance, mostly as a starting pitcher, Lopez carved a niche in the Sox bullpen in 2022. He appeared in 61 games, going 6-4 with a 2.76 ERA across 65.1 innings pitched. Aside from closer Liam Hendriks, Lopez was probably the most reliable relief pitcher the Sox had last season. For his efforts, he'll earn $3.625 million in 2023, beating the MLB Trade Rumors projection of $3.3 million. With Hendriks sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Lopez is among the candidates to close games for the Sox this season.

4. Michael Kopech. The 26-year-old Kopech is kind of like the new version of Carlos Rodon, only right-handed. We know he's a good pitcher -- when he's actually available -- but will he be healthy? Kopech managed to make 25 starts in 2022, going 5-9 with a 3.54 ERA across 119.1 innings. However, he battled a right-knee injury throughout the season, which required surgery. His availability is in doubt for Opening Day, with the Sox expressing hope that he'll be "ready to throw about 85 pitches" in a game by late March. His 2023 salary will be $2.05 million, below the MLB Trade Rumors projection of $2.2 million. If Kopech ever puts it together, he's a bargain.

5. Jose Ruiz. Give credit to Ruiz, because he's yet to fall off the roster despite being out of options for the past two years. He made 59 appearances in 2021 and 63 appearances in 2022. He was 1-0 with a 4.60 ERA in 60.2 innings of mostly low-leverage work last season. Ruiz has never done particularly well when entrusted with a clutch late-inning situation, but he's held his roster spot by chewing up innings in lopsided games. His salary in 2023 will be $925,000, less than the $1 million projected by MLB Trade Rumors. Odds are Ruiz will hang on the roster for another season. Unlike some of his bullpen brethren, he has a habit of being healthy and available. As we've noted before, availability is a skill, and it's been in short supply for many Sox players over the past two years.

The total outlay for the Sox in arbitration this year? It's $22.7 million. It's looking as though their payroll is right about $180 million, assuming no further additions. The Opening Day payroll last year was $193 million. Do with that information what you will.

Stop the presses: White Sox finally win 2 in a row

Tim Anderson

The White Sox have won two games in a row for the first time since April 15-16, as they defeated the crosstown Cubs, 3-1, on a rainy Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.

This was not a good night to be a hitter. The game-time temperature was 45 degrees. The wind was blowing in from left field at 23 mph, and most of the game was played in a persistent rain.

You know that whole urban myth about how the Cubs sell out every game? Yeah, no, not tonight. The announced attendance was 34,206, but I'd be willing to bet they didn't have even half that many people there. And who can blame fans from staying away from this one?

Both the Sox and the Cubs are off to poor starts this season, and you might say these March-like conditions during the first week of May are less than ideal for baseball.

Anyway, the Sox got all the runs they needed in the first three innings. They scored two in the second. Jake Burger's infield single scored Jose Abreu, who had reached on an error earlier in the inning. Reese McGuire's safety squeeze bunt scored Adam Engel, who had doubled.

In the third inning, Tim Anderson connected for his fourth home run of the season to put the Sox ahead 3-0. Anderson drive off Keegan Thompson landed in the right-field seats, which is the direction you needed to hit it to get one out of Wrigley on this night. Anything to left field wasn't going anywhere.

Sox pitching did the rest, with six players combining on a six-hitter. Michael Kopech worked four scoreless, but inefficient, innings. He was removed with a man at first base and no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. He had thrown 83 pitches at that point.

Reynaldo Lopez (3-0) relieved and got a double play and a strikeout out of the two batters he faced. For that, he earned his third victory of the season.

Jose Ruiz allowed the lone Cubs run in the sixth. But Aaron Bummer, Matt Foster and Liam Hendriks each worked 1-2-3 innings with one strikeout each, as the Cubs surrendered relatively quietly in the late innings.

For Hendriks, it was his sixth save in seven opportunities. The Sox are 10-13. The Cubs are 9-14. The two teams play one more time in this brief two-game set Wednesday night.

Bummer: White Sox waste good starting pitching in Toronto

Lucas Giolito

Through the first three games of their four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, the White Sox have received excellent starting pitching.

Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease and Lucas Giolito have combined to pitch 20 innings, allowing only three runs. That should lead to a 3-0 record, or 2-1 at the very least. Instead, the Sox are 1-2 because they can't hit, and their allegedly lights-out bullpen stinks.

Giolito tossed six innings of one-run ball Wednesday night, but it wasn't enough. Toronto scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and beat the Sox, 3-1.

The bullpen management by Tony La Russa was curious, to say the least. Ryan Tepera worked a scoreless seventh, and that part was fine. But it was baffling that lefty Aaron Bummer got the call in the eighth to pitch against the right-hand-dominant middle of the Toronto batting order.

It almost worked, in spite of the faulty logic. Bummer struck out Marcus Semien and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to start the inning. But the three right-handed hitters that followed -- Teoscar Hernandez, Breyvic Valera and Alejandro Kirk -- delivered three straight singles, the last of which produced a 2-1 Toronto lead.

Finally, La Russa gave Bummer the hook, and he goes to ... Jose Ruiz. To be fair to Ruiz, his defense failed him. Yoan Moncada kicked a grounder by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to load the bases. The inning should have been over. But Ruiz walked Randal Grichuk on four pitches to force in Toronto's third and final run of the night, and that's hard to accept.

Ruiz has proven time and again he doesn't belong in high-leverage spots. I guess if he was going to be the guy to come in, might as well have stuck with Bummer, huh?

Regardless, the Sox can't hit right now. They managed only six hits, all singles, and struck out 16 times in this loss. For this team, it doesn't end well when the home run power isn't there.

The Sox are 73-55. The AL Central lead is nine games, after Cleveland beat Texas on Wednesday.

Adam Engel has as many home runs as Yoan Moncada

Adam Engel

White Sox outfielder Adam Engel has played in 13 games in 2021. Hamstring injuries have limited him to only 42 at-bats through the first 89 games of the season. 

Nevertheless, Engel has homered five times in those 42 at-bats. That's the same number of home runs third baseman Yoan Moncada has in 272 at-bats. Doubt anyone expected that.

But Engel's fifth home run came at an opportune time Sunday. It was a 3-run shot in the top of the 10th inning that lifted the Sox to a 7-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

With the victory, the Sox are 7-0 this season against the AL-worst Orioles. They will go into the All-Star break with a five-game winning streak, a 54-35 record and an eight-game lead over the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central.

Sunday's game should have been a tidy 4-2 win. Closer Liam Hendriks got two easy outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and appeared poised to secure a victory for Sox starter Dylan Cease. Instead, Hendriks got sloppy. He gave up a single to Ryan McKenna on a first-pitch, get-me-over slider, which is about the only pitch the .185-hitting McKenna can sting. 

Then the Orioles used Trey Mancini, their best player, to pinch hit. Mancini drove a 1-1 fastball, which was middle-middle, over the short porch in right field to tie the game at 4.

Hendriks struck out Pedro Severino easily to force the game to the 10th inning. Frankly, there was nothing wrong with Hendriks' stuff. All three of his outs came by strikeouts -- he just appeared to lose focus after getting the first two batters out so easily.

The Sox were in jeopardy of not scoring in the top of the 10th. Tim Anderson was placed on second as the ghost runner, and Moncada walked to set up a RBI opportunity for Jose Abreu. Alas, Abreu struck out, and Brian Goodwin flew out deep to center, advancing Anderson to third.

Baltimore reliever Tyler Wells (2-1) had a chance to get out of the inning with no damage, but he fell behind 3-1 to Engel, then served up a center-cut fastball that Engel hit out for a 7-4 Sox lead.

Jose Ruiz had problems in the bottom of the 10th. After a single, a sacrifice fly that scored the ghost runner and a walk, Baltimore pulled within 7-5 and had two men on with one out.

Matt Foster relieved and got the last two outs for his first career save. The last out was a 408-foot fly off the bat of DJ Stewart, but hey, it's 410 feet to center field at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

Engel caught the ball just in front of the wall to secure the win for the Sox. They don't ask how; they just ask how many.

White Sox make 4 roster moves ahead of series against Baltimore Orioles

The White Sox made four roster moves Thursday afternoon in advance of a four-game weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles:

• Pitcher Michael Kopech was placed on the bereavement list. He must remain on that list for a minimum of three days, but not more than seven days.
• Reliever Ryan Burr's contract was purchased from Triple-A Charlotte.
• Outfielder Luis Robert (strained hip flexor) was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
• Reliever Jace Fry (back surgery) was sent on a rehabilitation assignment to Triple-A Charlotte.

Kopech left Wednesday's game with left hamstring soreness, so from that perspective, at least he wasn't placed on the injured list. Given that the Sox have a doubleheader scheduled Monday against Cleveland, Kopech was unlikely to pitch before then -- he typically makes a spot start when the Sox have a doubleheader. We'll see whether he's healthy enough to make that start. 

Burr takes Robert's place on the 40-man roster. He pitched for the Sox in 2018 and 2019. The right-hander had Tommy John surgery in 2019 and missed all of 2020. In 24 career games with the Sox, he's 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA.

If and when Fry is ready to rejoin the Sox, it will be interesting to see who gets sent to the minors. Jose Ruiz has struggled as of late -- he's given up runs in six consecutive outings -- but he's out of options. Matt Foster has also struggled this season, and could be pitching for his roster spot.

It's also possible Garrett Crochet will be sent to Triple-A to get more innings. The rookie left-hander has only appeared in 13 games this season, throwing 12.2 innings. I'm concerned the lack of activity is stunting the 21-year-old's development. If he's not going to pitch more in the majors, send him to Charlotte and let him improve his craft. He will be needed later in the season.

Quit the World Series talk; the White Sox need to find a way to win a game

There's a headline on whitesox.com right now that reads, "White Sox vision: Win the whole thing." 

Good grief. 

Cleveland's offense stinks, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. The Sox are the best team in the AL Central, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. The Sox are legitimate championship contenders right now, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Just shut up. 

The Sox have won absolutely nothing so far, and I'm not convinced they will win anything. They've now lost four out of five games since they clinched a postseason bid last Thursday, and they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory Tuesday.

The Sox were one strike away from a 3-2 win against the Indians, but instead, Jose Ramirez hit a three-run homer off Jose Ruiz to lift the Indians to a 5-3 victory over the Sox in 10 innings.

Yes, you read that right. Ruiz, the 14th man on a 14-man pitching staff, a fringe player who has been at the alternate site in Schaumburg for most of the season, was the reliever summoned to try to get out Cleveland's best hitter with the AL Central title possibly at stake.

To the surprise of nobody, Ramirez launched a center-cut 2-2 fastball into the seats in right-center field to end the game.

If the Sox close that out, the Indians are five games out with five to go, and you could basically leave them for dead. Instead, they are three games out, and they have their two best pitchers -- Shane Bieber and Zach Plesac -- set to go against the Sox the next two days. We better hope Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel can match them, or else the Indians will be within one with three to play by the time Thursday night rolls around.

Did we mention the Indians close the season with three games against the MLB-worst Pittsburgh Pirates?

Yes, Cleveland is still very much alive in the division race, and the Sox have nobody to blame but themselves. The Sox also have destiny in their own hands. They really just need to win one of the next two to turn the Indians away.

How about focusing on that instead of the World Series, boys?

And, oh yeah, the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-4, on Tuesday night. That means the second-place Twins are only a half-game behind now. 

The Sox could be out of first place by Wednesday evening if they can't find a win against Bieber, the AL's best pitcher. 

What a mess. The Sox have played themselves into a dangerous position. Typical of this stupid organization that talks a much better game than it plays. 

Yoan Moncada is back with the White Sox; ESPN to televise Sunday's game

The White Sox became a better baseball team the minute Yoan Moncada walked into the stadium Thursday.

Just as I started to wonder whether Moncada would be back anytime soon after a positive COVID-19 test, the third baseman was at Guaranteed Rate Field after testing negative twice and being cleared to return.

Thank goodness, Moncada did not have severe symptoms. He described losing his sense of taste and smell while he was quarantined, but he was otherwise fine. And both he and manager Rick Renteria seem to believe he can be ready in time to face the Minnesota Twins in the season opener July 24.

Fingers crossed.

Pitcher Jose Ruiz, the other positive COVID test for the Sox, also has been cleared to return to baseball. He reported to Schaumburg to join the taxi squad.

Upcoming 'preseason' games

I'm watching the Sox's intrasquad game as I type on Thursday night. It's fun to see baseball of any sort -- and Dylan Cease looked really, really good against his teammates, eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings. And Edwin Encarnacion homered twice off Carlos Rodon.

But, it will be more exciting to see the Sox test themselves against other clubs before the season starts. That will happen Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. The Sox will play the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday night. Then they will host the Cubs on Monday before the Milwaukee Brewers come to the South Side on Wednesday.

And here's a twist: The Sox will be on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball when they play the Cubs. Can you remember the last time the Sox were on Sunday night? Me neither.

Nevertheless, I'll be watching the home team call on NBC Sports Chicago with Jason Benetti and Steve Stone. Unlike the ESPN broadcast team, Benetti and Stone are knowledgeable about the Sox, and we won't have to listen to a Cubs lovefest from Rick Sutcliffe.

Regardless of what channel you watch, doesn't it help the soul to have baseball back?

If Yoan Moncada can't play, what do the White Sox do at third base?

Yoan Moncada

White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada and right-handed relief pitcher Jose Ruiz both are on the 10-day injured list with "mysterious ailments."

We know that two Sox players tested positive for COVID-19 on intake, so I think we can connect the dots on what is going on here.

Ruiz is a fringe player who had a 5.63 ERA in 40 appearances with the Sox in 2019, and he's not somebody any of us were counting on.

But Moncada, however, is the team's best player. He's coming off a season in which he hit .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs, 34 doubles, five triples and 79 RBIs. He also was one of the few players on the 2019 Sox who could be described as a solid defensive player.

The Sox signed Moncada to a five-year, $70 million extension over the offseason. They were counting on him to be a cornerstone not only in 2020, but also for years to come.

Perhaps Moncada will end up helping the Sox this year. In order to return, Moncada will have to test negative twice more than 24 hours apart. Because of privacy reasons, nobody knows where he is in that process. Is he still COVID positive? Maybe. Has he tested negative once, in which case he would need to test negative again? Maybe.

However, the longer we go without seeing Moncada in Sox camp, the more we have to come to grips with the possibility that he will not be ready eight days from now when the team opens the regular season against the Minnesota Twins.

The third base depth for the Sox is, umm, not good. After all, why would you invest much in a backup for the franchise player? What are the Sox going to do in the likely event that Moncada isn't around?

Well, there's Cheslor Cuthbert, who was signed to play third base at Triple-A Charlotte. He's probably the best defensive option available, and he has 322 games of big league experience with the Kansas City Royals. His bat won't wow you, but he can probably catch most of the grounders hit his way.

Danny Mendick is an option, too. The utility infielder showed well in his September call-up last season, batting .308/.325/.462 in a limited sample size of 40 at-bats.

The Sox also have looked at Yermin Mercedes and Andrew Vaughn at third base over the past week. Mercedes can hit, and the Sox would like to find a home for his bat. However, he's a catcher by trade and not real nimble on his feet. I wouldn't want him playing third with an extreme groundball pitcher on the mound, like, say, Dallas Keuchel. Maybe you can spot Mercedes at third if you've got a flyball pitcher on the mound, like, say, Reynaldo Lopez.

Vaughn, the Sox's first-round draft pick in 2019, is a first baseman, plain and simple. I understand the team would like to increase his versatility, but I don't see it happening. If they had the opportunity to try Vaughn at third base in the minor leagues, maybe I could get on board. However, the kid never played a single game at third in college. What makes us believe he can play third in the majors for a team that is trying to move into contention this year? That's a nonstarter for me.

Then there's the option that I like best: It's time to quit screwing around with service time and just put Nick Madrigal at second base. Madrigal has looked better in this camp than he did during spring training in March, and I think he can hold the position down. That means the Sox don't need to use Leury Garcia at second. Instead, put Garcia at third until Moncada returns.

I've always thought Garcia was miscast as an everyday player at any one spot. His best role is as a super sub, filling in at whatever position needs filling. Right now, that position is third base. I say, roll with Garcia at third and hope Moncada's back by early August.

If we're being honest, the Sox probably aren't going to make the playoffs without a healthy Moncada anyway.

White Sox sign relief pitcher Steve Cishek to one-year deal

Steve Cishek

The White Sox on Tuesday moved to increase their bullpen depth by signing veteran relief pitcher Steve Cishek to a one-year, $6 million contract.

Cishek, 33, will earn $5.25 million in 2020. The deal includes an option for 2021 worth $6.75 million, with a $750,000 buyout -- thus the $6 million guaranteed.

The right-hander spent the past two seasons with the Cubs. He appeared in 70 games in 2019, going 4-6 with a 2.95 ERA and seven saves. He struck out 57 and walked 29 with a 1.203 WHIP over 64 innings pitched.

Let's discuss the pluses and minuses of this signing in 3-up, 3-down format.

3 up

1. An ERA below 3.00 for four consecutive seasons. That 2.95 ERA in 2019 represents the *worst* season Cishek has had in recent memory. Over the past four years, his ERAs have been 2.81, 2.01, 2.18 and 2.95, respectively. Even if he regresses, he has a higher floor that some of the other candidates for the Sox bullpen, such as Carson Fulmer and Jose Ruiz.

2. Experience. Cishek is a veteran of 10 MLB seasons, and he's appeared in 572 games. His career ERA is 2.69, and while he likely won't be asked to close for the Sox, he has 132 saves lifetime. This is somebody who has been in his share of high-leverage situations. There's no reason he can't be placed in a seventh- or eighth-inning role.

3. Rubber arm. Cishek appeared in 150 games over the past two seasons, including a ridiculous 80 appearances in 2018. He's pitched in 60 or more games six times during his career. That reliability has to be respected.

3 down

1. A declining strikeout rate. Cishek struck out 10.0 batters per nine innings with the Cubs in 2018, but that declined to 8.0 batters per nine innings last season. His career mark is 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings, so he performed below his norms in 2019. There may be a little less swing-and-miss in his game going forward.

2. Overuse. I don't care who you are, 150 appearances is a ton over two years. In a way, it's a testament to Cishek that his former manager, Joe Maddon, trusted him that often. But sooner or later, that kind of usage has to take its toll. Perhaps that concern is among the reasons Cishek is only getting one year guaranteed on the open market.

3. An increasing home run rate. Cishek gave up 1.0 home runs per nine innings in 2019, which was the second-highest rate of his career. His career mark is 0.6 home runs per nine innings, which is the exact figure he was at during the 2018 season. Of course, to be fair, the ball was juiced last summer, so a lot of pitchers around the league saw an increase in their home run rate.

With the addition of Cishek, I think we can take a good guess at seven of the eight spots in the Sox bullpen. Here's how it most likely looks today:

Left-handers: Aaron Bummer, Jace Fry
Right-handers: Alex Colome, Kelvin Herrera, Cishek, Evan Marshall, Jimmy Cordero, ??????

Here are some candidates to fill in those question marks: Fulmer, Ruiz, Dylan Covey, Zack Burdi, Matt Foster and Ian Hamilton.

When you have five relievers, you have no relievers

In a different sport, commentators sometimes say, "When you have two quarterbacks, you really have no quarterbacks." The thinking is, if either of your quarterbacks were actually good, he would be playing, and the lesser guy would be sitting on the bench. There wouldn't be a need to toggle back and forth between players.

Likewise, if the White Sox had a reliever available they could trust Sunday, maybe they wouldn't have needed to use five of them in the eighth inning of a ghastly 11-10 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

You see, the Sox's reliable relievers -- Alex Colome, Aaron Bummer and, to a lesser extent, Evan Marshall -- were not available Sunday.

That left the rest of the bullpen to protect a 10-5 lead in the eighth inning. It should have been doable. Hector Santiago had done much of the heavy lifting. He replaced a struggling Ivan Nova in the fourth inning, and he tossed up zeroes in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

But Santiago tired in the eighth, allowing a two singles and a walk to start the inning. But the veteran lefty left the mound with the Sox still in decent shape, leading 10-6.

Unfortunately, Kelvin Herrera gave up a three-run homer to Kyle Lewis. 10-9. Then Jace Fry came in and walked the only batter he faced. (Surprise, surprise.) Then Jimmy Cordero faced one batter and struck him out.

Maybe Cordero should have been left in ... nah, why do that when we can go with some more stupid lefty-righty matchups?

Josh Osich entered and finished the eighth inning, but not before walking another batter and surrendering a game-tying single to Mallex Smith. The lefty-on-lefty stuff didn't work there, did it? 10-10 after eight.

The Sox had a pathetic offensive inning in the top of the ninth. Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada and Jose Abreu all swung for the fences. All of them struck out on pitches out of the zone against Austin Adams (2-2). Great discipline, guys.

Jose Ruiz (1-3) became the sixth reliever used in less than two innings in the ninth. Long story short, Anderson and Ryan Cordell made defensive mistakes behind him, an intentional walk was issued to load the bases, and then Ruiz walked in the winning run.

Good job, good effort.

The Sox dropped two out of three in the weekend series to the mighty Mariners (62-88). That means the South Siders have now lost three consecutive series, all to losing teams -- the Angels, Royals and Mariners.

And we're told we should be excited about 2020. Well, you know, you have to have more than four people who can get opposing batters out on your pitching staff in order to contend.

The Sox are now 65-84 on the season. There's a ton of work to be done over the winter to get anywhere near contention, and team brass has no track record as far as signing the right free agents.

They will have to sign the right free agents, because there are no internal solutions here. Colome and Bummer have had good seasons, but two pitchers does not make a bullpen.

Just too much bad pitching on the White Sox

Odrisamer Despaigne

One more thought before I take a break from this for a couple of days -- I'm actually going to the White Sox game on Thursday when they play the New York Yankees, so I won't have time to blog.

It wasn't Odrisamer Despaigne's fault that the Sox got beat, 12-1, by the Washington Nationals on Monday night. The 32-year-old journeyman was making his first start for the South Siders, and he did a credible job.

He went six innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits. He struck out two and walked two. It was a quality start, and that's good enough to win sometimes.

The front end of the bullpen -- Jose Ruiz, Josh Osich, Thyago Vieira and Juan Minaya -- gave up nine runs over the last three innings and caused the Sox to get humiliated.

That being said, it's frustrating that Despaigne is on this team in Year 3 of the rebuild. This is the sort of pitcher who makes starts for you in the first year of a rebuild -- see Derek Holland and Mike Pelfrey in 2017. These are all pitchers of similar quality.

And the relief pitchers listed above, with the possible exception of Ruiz, also are nothing more than roster filler, to put it charitably. Less charitably, they are cannon fodder. Minaya has had plenty of chances. Vieira can't find the plate. Osich has tried and failed with other organizations.

By now, wouldn't you like to think more interesting pitchers would be around in the organization and available to take these innings? Alas, it isn't to be. Manny Banuelos is starting Tuesday against the Nationals, and he's another guy who you'd expect to see in a first-year rebuild.

Year 3, and there are still mornings when I wake up and say, "The Sox are in trouble today." It's so frustrating to watch this bad pitching, especially when there are position players who are decent and making progress on this team.

White Sox beat Corey Kluber for first time in almost four years

Corey Kluber

White Sox fans are conditioned to believe any game against Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber is an automatic loss.

Admit it, did you think the Sox were going to win Wednesday? I sure didn't.

After all, the Sox had not beaten Kluber since July 24, 2015. And it isn't for lack of opportunity. The Indians are a divisional opponent, and the Sox have faced Kluber 11 times in those almost four years.

Kluber went 9-0 with a 1.81 ERA in those 11 starts. In 2018 alone, he was 4-0 with an 0.96 ERA in four starts vs. the Sox.

So, of course, the Sox torched him Wednesday. They got three in the first inning and one more in the second. Kluber didn't make it through the fourth inning, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

The Sox won, 8-3, as Carlos Rodon tossed six innings of one-run ball, Yoan Moncada connected for his second home run of the season, and Jose Abreu went 2 for 5 with three RBIs.

Go figure. You just never know. That's why we watch.

Covey optioned; Anderson back from paternity list

Sox shortstop Tim Anderson missed both games in Cleveland after being placed on the paternity list. He's back for Friday's home opener against Seattle, and to make room on the roster, Dylan Covey has been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

Covey had made two appearances, covering 1.1 innings. He allowed two runs on two hits with two walks. His success from spring training did not carry over, and he could not consistently throw strikes.

Jose Ruiz is now in the Sox bullpen. He was recalled when Anderson went on the paternity list.

Why are the White Sox using Jeanmar Gomez in high-leverage situations?

Jeanmar Gomez

It doesn't matter much that the White Sox lost, 4-3, to the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. And, it doesn't matter much that they lost in a stupid way, with reliever Jeanmar Gomez making a throwing error on a bunt play in the bottom of the 10th inning that allowed Kansas City to score the winning run.

What bothers me is the fact that Gomez was on the mound in the first place. Why is a 30-year-old veteran who is not part of the Sox's future and barely part of their present being allowed to pitch in a high-leverage situation when there are a host of younger, more interesting options available?

The Sox got seven innings out of Lucas Giolito on Monday, and left-hander Jace Fry was the first man out of the bullpen. That's fine, because Fry is a 25-year-old who is under evaluation for a possible long-term relief role.

Once Fry got four outs with the score tied 3-3, the next guy who came in was Gomez. That is inexplicable in September with expanded rosters.

Several relief pitching prospects have been called up from the minor leagues. Right-handers Ian Hamilton, Ryan Burr and Jose Ruiz all are on the roster. So are left-handers Aaron Bummer and Caleb Frare.

With the Sox on a six-game losing streak and hopelessly behind in the standings, these September games are essentially an early jump on spring training 2019.

The fight for bullpen jobs for next season should be underway, and it should not include Gomez. It should, however, include all of the young pitchers mentioned above.

So, put one of them on the mound in the 10th inning of a 3-3 game and see how that pitcher reacts. Even if the guy loses the game, at least we will have learned something.

All we learned last night is something we already knew: that Gomez is washed up and doesn't belong on the 2019 roster. Stop pitching him in high-leverage spots, please.

Palka ties White Sox record

Outfielder Daniel Palka hit his 22nd home run of the season in Monday's loss. He now shares the Sox's team record for most home runs by a left-handed hitting rookie with Pete Ward, who hit 22 home runs in 1963.

Palka might end up leading the 2018 Sox in homers. He and Jose Abreu are tied for the team lead going into Tuesday's play. There are 18 games left in the season.

Charlie Tilson among first round of White Sox roster cuts

Adam Engel

Charlie Tilson will not be the Opening Day center fielder for the White Sox.

The Sox made eight roster moves Tuesday, and Tilson was among the players optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

It's somewhat surprising to see Tilson sent out the second week of March, as he was believed to be a contender for a starting job in center field, along with Adam Engel, Leury Garcia and Ryan Cordell.

But after a 3-for-18 performance in eight spring games, the club obviously has decided Tilson needs more at-bats in the minor leagues. General manager Rick Hahn foreshadowed this possibility at SoxFest, when he noted that both Tilson and Cordell have missed significant time because of injuries.

Cordell has shown well this spring -- he's 4 for 13 in six games with four walks and no strikeouts -- but he soon might join Tilson in Triple-A just because he didn't play at all the second half of last season.

That leaves Engel and Garcia in the mix, and we know the Sox like Engel's defense. It's also no secret the 26-year-old needed a swing overhaul after hitting .166 in 301 plate appearances at the big-league level last season. So far, so good for Engel this spring -- he's 5 for 16 with two home runs and four RBIs in eight games.

Garcia is the most accomplished player in contention for the center field job, but most of his playing time this spring has been in the infield. Garcia is an infielder by trade, but he was given time in the outfield last year to take advantage of his athleticism. When healthy, he was decent in 2017, posting a .270/.316/.423 slash line with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in 87 games.

Right now, Engel might have the inside track to be the center fielder based upon his defense, his health and some signs of offensive progress.

In other moves, pitcher Thyago Vieira was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Right-hander Jose Ruiz was optioned to Single-A Winston-Salem.

Injured third baseman Jake Burger, catcher Alfredo Gonzalez and pitchers Michael Ynoa, Jordan Guerrero and Dylan Covey all were assigned to minor-league camp.