Tag: Chicago White Sox

Olt Becomes 1st Player to Homer for White Sox and Cubs in Same Season

Chicago White Sox third baseman Mike Olt hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s 9-4 win over the Oakland Athletics, becoming the first player ever to homer for both the White Sox and crosstown-rival Chicago Cubs in the same season, per MLB Stat of the Day.

The 27-year-old Olt is just the 14th player and sixth position player to even suit up for both Chicago teams during the same season, with catcher Josh Paul (2003) the last to do so, per MLB.com.

Olt opened his season as the Cubs’ starting third baseman, with the caveat that top prospect Kris Bryant was expected to take over at some point in April or May.

Olt still had a nice opportunity to make an impression in the majors, until he was hit by a pitch during an April 11 game against the Colorado Rockies, then diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his wrist a few days later.

Bryant was called up shortly thereafter, and he quickly emerged as the favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award, which he now appears to be a near lock for.

Olt, meanwhile, was unable to play in games for two months, then had an extended stint with Triple-A Iowa from late June through the end of August.

He posted a middling .265/.330/.460 batting line for Iowa while continuing to strike out at a high rate (30.3 percent of plate appearances), leading the Cubs to designate him for assignment Aug. 31 when they needed a free spot on the 40-man roster.

The White Sox claimed him off waivers Sept. 5, with manager Robin Ventura saying that Olt will likely get most of the playing time at third base for the rest of the season, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Even after Wednesday’s homer, the results so far have been unimpressive, with Olt striking out 12 times in 35 at-bats and owning a .257/.316/.343 batting line since joining the White Sox.

His power has never been in question, but he now has a whopping 131 strikeouts in 308 career big-league at-bats.

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White Sox Pitcher John Danks Loses Bet, Has to Warm Up in a Leprechaun Suit

The luck of the Irish wasn’t on the side of John Danks.

After losing a bet to broadcaster Ed Farmer, the Chicago White Sox pitcher rolled up to U.S. Cellular Field for warm-ups ahead of Friday’s game against the Minnesota Twins dressed as a leprechaun—green bow tie and all.

Danks pulled the look off pretty well—so well he could likely get a gig advertising cereal after the professional baseball stint ends.

[White Sox, h/t For The Win]

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Chris Sale Falls 1 Strikeout Shy of White Sox’s Single-Game Record

Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale nearly matched a single-game franchise record in Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs, falling just one strikeout shy of the 16 recorded by Jack Harshman on July 25, 1954 against the Boston Red Sox, per ESPN Stats & Info.

In addition to matching his own personal best with 15 strikeouts, Sale allowed just one hit and two walks over seven scoreless innings, putting an end to the Cubs’ winning streak at nine games.

He finished the impressive outing with an MLB-best 208 strikeouts for the season, thus becoming the first White Sox pitcher since Hall of Famer Ed Walsh (1910-12) to record 200 or more strikeouts in three consecutive years, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Sale also became the fifth pitcher to record 15 strikeouts in a game this year, making 2015 the first season since 1998 in which five or more pitchers put up such a performance, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Now on pace for 293 strikeouts, the 26-year-old southpaw has a real shot to become the first pitcher since Randy Johnson in 2002 to record 300 or more strikeouts in a single season.

But despite the dominant strikeout numbers, Sale doesn’t appear to be the favorite for AL Cy Young honors, as his 3.32 ERA ranks just 12th in the Junior Circuit among all qualified starters.

Houston Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel, who started the All-Star Game, has arguably emerged as the favorite for the award, ranking third in the AL in ERA (2.36), second in WHIP (1.01) and tied for first in wins (14).

Keuchel also benefits from playing for a likely playoff team, whereas Sale’s White Sox face an uphill battle just to stay in the wild-card race through September.

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Trayce Thompson, Brother of Klay Thompson, Recalled by Chicago White Sox

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson isn’t the only one in his family playing a sport professionally at the top level.

His younger brother, Trayce Thompson, was recalled by the Chicago White Sox on Monday, per the team’s official Twitter account. It’s the young outfielder’s first stint in the major leagues, according to Bruce Levine of WSCR-AM.

Thompson, 24, was hitting .260 with 13 home runs, 39 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 53 runs in 104 games with Triple-A Charlotte this season, per Baseball-Reference.com. The 2009 second-round pick boasts excellent size (6’3″, 210 lbs), elite athleticism and has the potential to be a true five-tool player at the next level.

Per MLB.com’s Prospect Watch, he’s the No. 15 prospect in Chicago’s system.

And if he lives up to that potential, he could erase the “Klay’s younger brother” tag that always accompanies his name.

He’ll be given the chance to prove himself over the duration of the season and, given his upside, could end up sticking with the White Sox. For the son of a basketball player—his father, Mychal Thompson, played in the league—and the younger brother of two Thompsons who played in the NBA (Klay, 25, and Mychel, 27), that’s the expectation.  

 

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Jeff Samardzija Trade Would Be Smart Gamble for Offense-Dominant Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have the best offense in MLB by almost any measure, yet they’re stuck in fourth place in the American League East. It doesn’t take a brilliant baseball mind to deduce the problem is pitching, or a lack thereof.

Here, let’s just lay out the numbers: The Jays have scored 447 runs to date, making them the only team in either league to eclipse 400. They also lead the field in slugging percentage and are among the top five clubs in virtually every significant offensive category.

At the same time, Toronto pitchers rank 25th in ERA overall and second-to-last in the AL, ahead of only the cellar-dwelling Boston Red Sox.

So that’s the windup. Here’s the pitch: On Thursday, CBS Sports‘ Jon Heyman posited a trade that would send Chicago White Sox‘s right-hander Jeff Samardzija north of the border.

Heyman suggested the Jays could ship catching prospect Max Pentecost, whom Toronto took with the 11th overall pick in 2014, to Chicago. 

It’s just a rumor at this point, bordering on pure speculation, but it makes too much sense for the Blue Jays to ignore.

Samardzija, of course, was moved in a trade last season, when the Oakland A’s acquired him from the Chicago Cubs. He pitched well for Oakland and finished the season with a 2.99 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 219.2 innings.

The A’s, however, were dropped in the wild card playoff by the Kansas City Royals before Samardzija could pitch in a postseason game, and Oakland traded him to the White Sox in December.

This time around, his stock isn’t so high. Whereas last season he had a year remaining on his contract, now he’d be a pure rental.

More than that, though, Samardzija’s numbers are down. Way down.

Through 16 starts, he sports an unsightly 4.56 ERA, and he’s coughed up an MLB-leading 123 hits.

Yet, according to Heyman, “scouts still mostly love him, and he should be quite popular,” as the trade deadline creeps closer.

He’s not the only pitcher on the block. Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels’ name keeps popping up, and the last-place A’s may dangle an arm, most likely Scott Kazmir (Heyman has Kazmir going to the Cubs, in a reversal of last year’s Chicago-Oakland, buy-sell scenario).

Because of his pedestrian performance, however, Samardzija could be the best, cheapest option in terms of assets surrendered. 

And he might well benefit from a change of scenery.

True, the AL East features four of the top ten hitters’ yards, according to ESPN’s Park Factors statistic. But there’s something to be said for relocating to a winning clubhouse.

The White Sox, after their much-touted offseason overhaul, have vacillated between bad and dreadful. The Jays, meanwhile, despite their struggles on the hill, are fluttering two games over .500 and within striking distance in baseball’s most wide-open division.

“We still need to make upgrades in the rotation and the bullpen, that goes without saying,” Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos told Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker on Sportsnet 590 The FAN Monday. “I’d love to land both. What we come away with or don’t come away with I have no idea. Clearly we’re looking to be active.”

On Wednesday, Samardzija addressed the possibility of being dealt. 

“We’ve talked previously about what deserves a lunch,” Samardzija said, referring to conversations with his agent, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune.

“If there ever is a situation when we need to get together to discuss something he has heard, we’ll do that, but at this point that hasn’t happened. I’m just going to continue playing baseball and let him handle that.”

That’s not even close to a trade demand. But it certainly sounds like he’s open to the possibility.

As they search for much-needed pitching help, the Blue Jays should be, too.

 

All statistics current as of July 3 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

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Chris Sale’s Strikeout Streak Highlights Lefty’s Ascension to MLB’s Elite

Any day you join a club that counts Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez as its only other members is a good day.

On Friday, Chris Sale had a good day, even if his Chicago White Sox decidedly did not.

By punching out 14 Texas Rangers, Sale became just the third pitcher in baseball history to record at least 12 strikeouts in five consecutive starts. Johnson did it in 1998 and Martinez in 1999, MLB.com‘s Greg Garno and Scott Merkin noted, and they both have a bust in Cooperstown. 

Sale flirted with history of another kind, retiring the first 17 hitters he faced, and wound up nailing down eight frames of two-hit, shutout ball.

His dominance, though, went for naught, as Texas plated a pair of runs in the ninth off Chicago closer David Robertson and walked away with an improbable 2-1 victory.

With the loss, the White Sox fell 10 games below .500 and cemented their status as cellar-dwellers in the American League Central. 

That’s a shame, because the ace of their staff is pitching like a guy who deserves to start the All-Star Game, as ESPN’s Keith Law opined:

How good has Sale been? Since May 12, he’s pitched into the seventh inning in every start and has gotten through the eighth five times. During that span, he’s racked up 93 strikeouts while walking just 10 and surrendering a scant nine earned runs.

Even after missing time early with a foot injury suffered while unloading his truck in the spring, Sale now leads the AL with 119 strikeouts. Sonny Gray is having a fine season with the Oakland A’s, and Dallas Keuchel and Chris Archer are breaking out for the first place Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively. 

At the moment, Sale might be the best of the bunch.

This is nothing new, of course. The 26-year-old southpaw eclipsed the 200-strikeout plateau in each of the last two seasons and, not coincidentally, finished among the top five in American League Cy Young balloting.

If he keeps dealing like he has been, Sale could get over the hump and win the award, though he won’t get support from voters who unfairly penalize players for their teams’ poor performance. 

After Friday’s wasted gem, Sale was asked about the lack of run support and deflected the question, per David Just of the Chicago Sun-Times

That’s kind of a crappy question to ask, really. You think I’m gonna say something bad about one of my teammates, you’re dead wrong. We have a bunch of fighters in here. We have guys that come in here every single day and play as hard as they can, plain and simple.

Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. Tonight it didn’t, and it hasn’t for a few games. But that doesn’t mean that we’re doing anything different or going to point a finger at anybody.

Kudos to Sale for refusing to throw anyone under the bus. Let’s face facts, though: Chicago’s issues go a lot deeper than “a few games.” A team that added flashy pieces in the offseason and was a trendy pick to win the division has vacillated between listless and downright awful.

There’s still time to right the ship, but with the defending AL champion Kansas City Royals leading the pack (and crashing the All-Star ballot) and the powerful Detroit Tigers and surprise Minnesota Twins also in the mix, the White Sox’s prospects are as bleak as the South Side sky in late December. 

Consider Sale a ray of sunshine. Even if the Sox go nowhere in 2015, they’ve got their stud signed through the 2019 campaign. And with the way he’s been throwing, he’s a foundation worth building on, one of the very best arms in an era bursting with elite hurlers. 

Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Chris Sale—has a nice ring, doesn’t it?

 

All statistics current as of June 19 and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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Red-Hot White Sox Becoming Threat They Were Hyped to Be After Offseason Overhaul

Baseball offseasons are made for hope and optimism.

Those five months between the end of the World Series and Opening Day help dissolve any ugly memories and bad tastes that exist from the previous season. And when that fall and winter are filled with a team making blockbuster moves to improve for the following season, the hype and expectations soar.

That was the case for the Chicago White Sox, a team that used the trade and free-agent markets to bolster its roster during the offseason. They added big names at key positions to the point that they were expected to contend for an American League Wild Card berth at the very least.

After getting off to a disappointing 8-14 start, the White Sox are finally living up to their billing. They have won six consecutive games—a 10th-inning walk-off against the Cleveland Indians on Monday was the latest triumph—to creep above the .500 mark for the first time this season. The stretch has also made them relevant again in the AL Central, where they trail the Kansas City Royals by 4.5 games.

The franchise lost 99 games in 2013, their worst year since a 106-loss season in 1970. It saw a 10-game improvement last season, and much more was expected in 2015 after the team traded for Jeff Samardzija to strengthen the rotation, signed elite free-agent reliever David Robertson as well as Adam LaRoche and Melky Cabrera to lengthen their lineup over the offseason.

“Once you get players like that, the excitement is there,” manager Robin Ventura told CSN Chicago in January. “For me, it doesn’t feel any different. I think everybody acts like it’s going to be a different thing, but in the end it just means there’s higher expectations, which are great.”

The start to the season certainly was not.

Through the first 22 games, the offense was abysmal. It batted .242/.296/.341 and scored 70 runs (3.2 runs per game).

The pitching was just as bad in that time frame. The staff racked up a brutal 4.56 ERA, and the rotation was worse at 5.50.

Those numbers culminated with a 13-3 loss in Minnesota and a five-game losing streak that dropped the White Sox seven games out of first place and six games below .500. That led general manager Rick Hahn to hold a pregame dugout press conference two days later.

“We’re all accountable for where we sit right now,” Hahn told reporters. “That starts with the players, it goes to the coaches and Robin and myself and the front office.

Hahn continued: “This team is far, far better than what we’ve seen the last few days. … We need to be better than that. Based on the rotation we put together, based upon this lineup, we feel there are far, far better days ahead.”

That Q&A session looks like a premonition looking back. Starting that day, the White Sox have been on an impressive run of 10 wins in 13 games with the first five wins of their six-game streak coming on the road. The offense is scoring 4.9 runs a game and the pitching staff has a more respectable 3.85 ERA.

The run has pushed their record to 18-17 as the offseason makeover is finally paying off. LaRoche has 13 walks, seven RBIs, a .463 OBP and .878 OPS in May. Cabrera has 16 hits, eight RBIs and seven walks in the month. In that time, Samardzija, while still struggling to find a consistent groove, is 2-0 and Robertson has a 1.93 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 9.1 innings.

Just as important is ace Chris Sale’s last two starts. After compiling a 5.93 ERA in his first five, Sale has thrown 16 innings and allowed three runs in his last two outings, including an eight-inning, one-run gem Monday to outduel Cleveland ace Corey Kluber.

“I wouldn’t even say it’s a turnaround, you know?” Adam Eaton told CSN Chicago’s postgame coverage after Monday’s sixth straight win. “It takes a while for teams to jell together, especially with a lot of the new faces we have here. It takes a while, and it’s a learning process. We want to play good baseball [through] June, July, August and into October.

“We’re coming along as a team and learning each other. Hopefully we’ll have more of this going forward.”

While the White Sox might not be as prolific as this recent winning streak, they certainly did not appear to be as bad as their start based on player track records. But runs have a way of correcting themselves, which we’ve seen this month.

Now the White Sox have to sustain the success and become a loud voice in the AL Central through the summer, just like the offseason hype billed them to be.

 

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired first-hand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

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Abreu off to Historic Start Through 1st 162 Games of Career

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu played the 162nd game of his career Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, allowing him to join Rudy York, Chuck Klein and Ryan Braun as the only players in MLB history with a .300 batting average, 40 home runs and 120 RBI through 162 games, per ESPN Stats & Info.

After recording one hit and one RBI in four at-bats during Sunday’s 5-3 victory, the 28-year-old Cuban has a .316 batting average, 41 home runs and 121 RBI for his career.

Per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com), Klein is the only player to best Abreu in each of those three categories through 162 games, having produced a .361 batting average, 44 homers and 129 RBI at the same stage in his career.

Klein did his damage for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1928 and 1929, with the second of those seasons starting a five-year stretch in which he led the National League in homers four times.

While he would go on to have a few more strong seasons, the Hall of Fame slugger was notable for his early peak, as he never hit more than 25 homers in a year after 1933, despite doing so in five straight seasons from 1929 to 1933.

York also had an early peak, but in his case, it wasn’t quite enough to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame, as the catcher’s later years were overwhelmingly mediocre.

The group is rounded out by Braun, who also seems to be headed for a career that’s largely notable for its early peak. While it’s perhaps too soon to cast such a judgement on the Brewers outfielder, Braun simply hasn’t been the same player since serving his suspension in 2013.

Abreu surely hopes to have better longevity than the three players that preceded him, but it may be asking a bit much from a guy who made his MLB debut at the age of 27.

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Carlos Rodon Won’t Take Long to Enter White Sox Rotation, Then the AL ROY Race

Carlos Rodon will not be long for the bullpen.

That much you can bet on. Unlike new teammate Chris Sale before him, Rodon will not be stuck in relief for his entire rookie season.

The Chicago White Sox cannot afford to use Rodon as just an effective bullpen piece. Not when he already has one of the best sliders in the big leagues and not when the team already finds itself in a 5.5-game hole in the American League Central, partly because the rotation is one of the worst in the majors.

Once he is slotted in with Sale, the ace, and Jeff Samardzija, the No. 2, Rodon will give the White Sox one of the strongest, deepest rotations in the AL. That move will also undoubtedly rocket the left-hander into the league’s finicky Rookie of the Year race.

The White Sox drafted Rodon third overall in the 2014 draft. They gave him a franchise-record $6.582 million bonus, the largest in last year’s draft class and the highest ever for a left-handed pitcher.

Rodon went into this season as one of the game’s best prospects, rated No. 15 overall by MLB.com and Baseball America. He was the team’s top prospect when he was invited to big league camp in February.

Rodon gave the White Sox an impressive spring training, striking out 21 and walking five in 17.2 innings. Those numbers made him a consideration for the Opening Day rotation, but the team elected to send him to Triple-A Charlotte to work on fastball command and his changeup. In his two starts there, Rodon struck out 13, walked four and had a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings.

While the minor league numbers are not huge on wow factor, Rodon did enough to prove he can handle big league hitters from both sides of the plate. That fact will make him a valuable reliever while he is in the bullpen.

The move to start him in the ‘pen could make it easier for Rodon to handle the pressure that comes with his call-up, and it gives the coaches chances to look at him in games more than once every fifth day.

As White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes near the end of the season, it’s remarkable for Rodon to be in this position already:

We’re talking about a kid who is 22, 23 years old, who was in the ACC a year ago at this time, has fewer than 25 professional innings, and yet here we are talking about the finishing elements of his development. That’s fantastic. We’re in a great position. Carlos is in a great position. … You’re not talking about talent. You’re not talking about ceiling. You’re not talking about mechanics or health or anything that’s going to be a factor in his long-term success—we’re talking about practice.

Apparently 10 innings worth was enough for the White Sox, particularly when the rotation has been as bad as it has during the first two weeks with the exception of Sale. Samardzija (4.29 ERA in 21 innings) and Jose Quintana (8.40 in 15) have looked bad, but their spots are safe among the starters.

Because of the schedule, Hector Noesi has made only one start this season, and it was an unimpressive one—4.2 innings, four hits, six walks, two runs allowed. That clearly makes his hold on his spot weak with his second start scheduled for Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians.

John Danks is the other potential ouster from the rotation. He’s pitched 10.1 innings and allowed eight runs on 18 hits over two starts. He starts Monday against the Indians.

That should make it safe to say that as long as Rodon performs as a reliever, he will eventually take over one of those spots in the rotation. When that happens is mostly up to him.

Even though Rodon’s fastball-slider combination is good enough to get hitters out from the bullpen, he needs to develop a third pitch—the changeup—to become a starter. If he can flash that as at least an average major league pitch in his time as a reliever, it will give the White Sox less pause to move him into a starting role.

“Fastball command, it was real good,” Rodon told reporters after being informed he would not make the big league roster in March. “And then now it’s busting out the changeup and throwing it more often so I can develop that pitch. I think it’s ready so we’ll see.”

The White Sox have had success in breaking in pitching prospects through the bullpen, with Sale as the example. The difference is that when Sale broke in as a full-time reliever, the White Sox were expected to be a mediocre club, and they finished 79-83 in that 2011 season.

Expectations have changed. The White Sox underwent a noticeable roster makeover in the offseason, and anything but a postseason berth can be filed in the failure folder. That means if Danks and Noesi continue their struggles, and Rodon proves the changeup is manageable, he will not spend the entire year in the bullpen.

 

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired first-hand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

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Carlos Rodon Could Be Deciding Factor in AL Central’s 2015 Race

It’s no secret that the Chicago White Sox had an impressive, efficient offseason. A lot of attention went to their additions of right-hander Jeff Samardzija, closer David Robertson, outfielder Melky Cabrera, first baseman Adam LaRoche and even lefty reliever Zach Duke. And deservedly so.

But the final piece to what could be the most improved team in 2015 isn’t even going to be on the Opening Day roster.

Even after a dominant showing in spring training in which he allowed 17 hits and six runs in 17.2 innings with an impressive 21-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio, left-hander Carlos Rodon will begin the year at Triple-A. 

How long the White Sox keep him down, though, is going to be a big factor in the club’s ability to contend—and perhaps even win the AL Central—after a pair of disappointing seasons in 2013 and 2014.

Although Rodon already may be one of Chicago’s five best starting pitchers, having him begin the year down in Charlotte isn’t a bad idea for a handful of reasons.

For one, although he did zoom to Triple-A just months after being selected No. 3 overall last June, Rodon has all of 24.1 innings as a pro under his belt. There’s no need to rush him just yet, even if he is nearly big league-ready.

For another, Rodon does have a few things to work on, namely fastball command and his changeup to pair with his already killer slider.

“Everyone has now seen how devastating his slider can be,” White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said in a recent media session. “He’s shown very good command of his fastball at times. Now it’s a matter of getting the changeup where it needs to be.”

Hahn continued by emphasizing that Rodon “is going to help us, one way or another, in Chicago in the not-too-distant future.”

It’s rather evident that Rodon will impact the White Sox—and quite likely the division race—this season, whether that means pitching in the rotation or even out of the bullpen. Either way, the 22-year-old should make his presence felt.

Stashing Rodon in the minors also allows the White Sox to keep both a literal and figurative ace in the hole until the team determines it’s time to unleash its new weapon on the rest of what should be a highly competitive Central.

Although the Detroit Tigers have dominated the division four years running and the Kansas City Royals made it all the way to the World Series, neither club can be considered a sure thing heading into 2015.

The Tigers’ bullpen remains a potential pitfall (again), and their once-heralded rotation lost Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello. Plus, former ace Justin Verlander is not only in decline but is also now about to be on the disabled list for the first time in his career.

As for the Royals, they’ll be without James Shields, their No. 1 starter the past two years, or Billy Butler, the homegrown designated hitter who spent most of his time as the team’s cleanup hitter in 2014.

Speaking of the Royals, Rodon flat-out owned them in his second-to-last spring outing March 25 when he whiffed (count ’em) nine batters in just four innings without issuing a walk.

And, sure, the Cleveland Indians are getting hyped as a championship-caliber club, but if anything, that only furthers the point: The AL Central is wide open.

For now, the back of Chicago’s five-man consists of lefty John Danks, who is coming off of an awful 2014 (4.74 ERA, 1.44 WHIP), and right-hander Hector Noesi, who is pretty much the embodiment of a stopgap starter (5.16 ERA in parts of four MLB seasons).

In other words, once Rodon shows he’s really ready, not only to debut but to also be an impact arm, he’ll get his shot.

Add Rodon to a rotation that already features hard-throwing newcomer Samardzija sandwiched by two lefties in the often-unhittable Chris Sale and hugely underrated Jose Quintana, and the White Sox have the makings of a one-through-four that can match up with any other rotation in the Junior Circuit.

That, combined with a revamped lineup that now includes Cabrera and LaRoche around reigning AL Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu, one of the game’s best all-around hitters, makes the White Sox a team that could make some noise in the Central.

And maybe, with Rodon’s help, even win it.

 

Statistics are accurate through Wednesday, April 1, and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11  

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