White Sox Look to Reunite With Controversial Former Starter

Following multiple seasons of starter Michael Kopech struggling to prove himself in the major leagues, the Chicago White Sox officially moved the 28-year-old to the bullpen on March 14. Just a day earlier, ace Dylan Cease was traded to the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitchers Steven Wilson, Drew Thorpe, and Jairo Iriarte, and outfielder Samuel Zavala. With Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito both having been traded at last season’s deadline and Mike Clevinger entering free agency at the end of 2023, it seems the White Sox will go into 2024 without a single starter from last year’s Opening Day in their rotation.

But with just ten days until the start of the season on March 28, a reunion may actually be on the horizon.

On March 14, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the White Sox were “internally discussing” resigning Clevinger, who joined the team before the 2023 season and went 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 24 starts. Four days later on March 18, Nightengale quoted Clevinger’s agent Seth Levinson as stating Clevinger was only seeking a one-year deal for 2024, setting the 33-year-old apart from other free agent starters like Jordan Montgomery.

Clevinger’s Contract Value is Substantially More Affordable Than Free Agent Montgomery

Stats throughout their careers prove Montgomery to be a far stronger and more reliable starter than Clevinger, but Clevinger’s openness to a one-year, low-to-mid range deal makes him a far more budget-friendly option. For the White Sox, who are deep in a rebuild and not currently interested in spending on a big name, Clevinger is a much clearer fit.

At the start of the offseason, The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected Clevinger would land a two-year, $22 million deal out of free agency, and similarly, MLB Trade Rumors’ Tim Dierkes, Anthony Franco, and Steve Adams predicted he’d secure a two-year, $26 million contract. While there’s no indication of Clevinger’s exact asking price, the above predictions put his AAV in the range of $11-13 million.

Clevinger’s Return to the White Sox’s Rotation Could Offer Familiarity In the Rebuilding Clubhouse, But At What Cost?

After winning the AL Central in 2021 and promoting their contention era, the White Sox fell apart in a rather dramatic fashion, going 81-81 in 2022 and 61-101 in 2023. Now, the team is officially in a rebuild, and their starting rotation makes that very clear.

On March 18, the White Sox announced Garrett Crochet would be this year’s Opening Day starter, marking the 24-year-old’s return to the mound after missing the entire 2023 season to recover from Tommy John surgery. The next three starters — Erick Fedde, Chris Flexen, and Michael Soroka — are all new additions to the White Sox roster, and rookie Nick Nastrini (Chicago’s No. 8 prospect) looks set to take the fifth slot.

The team also has some rotation depth in Chad Kuhl, Touki Toussaint, and Jake Woodford, all of whom will likely start the season as multi-inning relievers.

If the White Sox are looking to develop young players in a season when they’re clearly nowhere near contention conversations, there’s an argument to be made that they don’t need to sign Clevinger. The team knows what the 33-year-old can do, and while he had a solid campaign last season, he’s obviously not a part of the team’s longterm vision, so both the money and opportunity for development could likely be better spent elsewhere.

Clevinger also comes with his fair share of off-the-field issues, making him a relatively controversial figure amongst fans.

Last offseason, he was accused by a ex-partner of domestic abuse against both her and their child, and while he didn’t face any criminal charges, the MLB investigation quickly dominated headlines at the White Sox’s spring training camp. Clevinger was not disciplined by MLB after their investigation “could not determine that the pitcher violated its joint policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse,” per USA Today’s Gabe Lacques.

In another headline-making controversy, Clevinger caused a major issue in the Cleveland Guardians (then Indians) clubhouse when he broke COVID-19 protocols with pitcher Zach Plesac in 2020. After multiple teammates spoke out, including one player even saying he would opt out of the rest of the season if both offending players stayed on the roster, Cleveland demoted Clevinger and Plesac.

Considering the White Sox are actively working to improve their clubhouse culture, which reliever Keynan Middleton slammed as having “no rules or guidelines” when speaking to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers in August 2023, Clevinger’s off-the-field issues are likely to be a topic of discussion when the team is considering a new deal.

Admittedly, Clevinger could offer a sense of familiarity in the rebuilding clubhouse. With very few returning veterans, the team could use leaders to guide the new faces, and as Nightengale pointed out, Clevinger was the team’s most consistent starter last season. Still, it’s hard to argue that Clevinger is particularly suited to that role.

If the White Sox are set on signing a new starter this offseason, Michael Lorenzen is likely to be a better fit. The 32-year-old is looking for a two-year deal, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on March 5, though Britton projected he was more likely to get a one-year, $11 million contract.

Chicago is in a rebuild and the team has made clear that the clubhouse culture is an important part of that. Whether the White Sox choose to pivot their attention to Lorenzen or focus on developing young players from within the system, both options are almost certainly a better use of their resources than offering a new deal to Clevinger.