The best way the White Sox fifth starter situation could have resolved itself? With Carlos Rodón and Reynaldo López pitching so well that Tony La Russa’s decision would hurt feelings no matter what.
The worst way the White Sox fifth starter could have resolved itself? With Rodón and López getting hurt, and/or pitching so poorly that the White Sox had to scour the waiver wire or out-of-options situations for random stabs at depth.
On that A-to-F scale, the White Sox are averaging a solid B right now. Rodón looks downright feisty, showing an unprecedented combination of fastball life and command when, after all the surgeries and other issues, it seemed like he’d have to pick one or the other. He hasn’t allowed a run or a walk over nine innings, yielding just four hits against 10 strikeouts. It’s not like he’s bewildering rusty hitters with an unsustainable blitz of sliders. He’s beating them with country hardball. He’d have the inside track on the rotation job no matter the competition.
Which is good, because there was no competition. The White Sox unceremoniously answered whatever was left of the question by including López among their latest round of cuts. The other reassigned members of White Sox spring training harbored no realistic roster hopes.
It’s not for a lack of effort. López came into spring training with the shortened arm swing, and he threw strikes with various pitches on a reliable basis. It’s more that the strikes got hammered. He allowed 11 runs over 11 innings on 16 hits, three of which left the yard. The velocity sank to a reported range of 90-93 mph, and while he’s attempting to reincorporate the curveball into his arsenal, the desert isn’t the best place to do it.
Scott Merkin received a non-damning assessment of López from Ethan Katz …
“He’s getting into the right place with everything,” White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz told MLB.com of López on Monday morning. “It’s just some bad luck thrown his way, but he’s putting in the work to put himself in the best position he can be.”
… but these words can also be read as ones from a guy who might not have to discuss López much from here on out. If he’s not able to get back to 96-98 mph, there isn’t much anybody dealing with the 26-man roster can do.
* * * * * * * * *
With the No. 5 starter derby resolved, Jimmy Cordero done for the season and Adam Engel sidelined for at least a couple of weeks, the 26-man roster has gained clarity in some areas, but lost definition in others. The uncertainties are largely contained to the position player side, because the pitching staff is largely settled but for one spot.
On the pitching side, the White Sox claimed left-handed reliever Nik Turley from Oakland over the weekend. Turley, 31, has intrigued the White Sox before, as they extended him a non-roster invitation back in 2016. He’s probably more intriguing now because he joins Katz and Lucas Giolito as products of Harvard-Westlake High School.
That said, nothing has been handed to Turley, who was drafted in the 50th round back in 2008, and has just 35 MLB appearances to show for his 11 years in professional baseball. He served a PED suspension and underwent Tommy John surgery over the last few years, but rebounded from both for his longest look yet with the Pirates in 2020. He sat 94 and threw his curveball nearly half the time, but it wasn’t quite enough for even Pittsburgh to keep him around.
Oakland claimed him, but the combination of zero options and an awful spring — a 20.77 ERA, four homers and four walks over 4⅓ innings — led him to the waiver wire. Perhaps the White Sox picked him up in order to attempt sneaking him through waivers themselves, but they could also try to carry Turley in a low-leverage role until Jace Fry is ready to return, because the bullpen is deep enough to use that last spot for a stowaway.
With López temporarily out of the mix, the only other candidate is José Ruiz, who is also out of options and struggling to make his way. He’s having a better spring than Turley, but not a good one by other standards. He’s struck out 10 over six innings, which is evidence of his ability to execute an impressive sequence. He’s also given up six runs over those six innings, which is further evidence that he’s eminently hittable when not executing.
(Photo by Kiyoshi Mio/Icon Sportswire)
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March 24, 2021 at 03:48AM
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White Sox Opening Day roster won't include Reynaldo López - Sox Machine
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