In wake of the Lance Lynn injury, the White Sox are bringing in some veteran pitching reinforcements. Late Monday evening, Jeff Passan reported that the White Sox agreed to a minor league deal with right-handed pitcher Johnny Cueto.
Cueto is set to make $4.2 million, prorated for days spent in the big leagues. Ken Rosenthal also reported that Cueto will need to start the season in Triple-A. The deal includes outs if the Chicago White Sox do not report him by certain predetermined dates.
However, after a quick ramp-up in Triple-A, it is likely Cueto gets a spot in the White Sox rotation given Lance Lynn’s injury. Lynn is set to have surgery which will likely cause him to be out until at least June.
The rest of the White Sox rotation is made up of Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, and Dallas Keuchel. Other options include Vince Velasquez and Reynaldo Lopez.
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Velasquez had an ERA north of six last year so he figures to be a long reliever. Lopez is coming off a fine season but has yet to find consistency. Kopech is getting his first shot at being a full time, starter and Keuchel is coming off an abysmal 2021 campaign. The addition of Cueto was a necessary one.
Cueto is a two-time All-Star who won the World Series in 2015 with the Kansas City Royals. His first All-Star selection came in 2014 when he led the league with 242 strikeouts. He finished second in the Cy Young voting that season. The second All-Star selection came in 2016 when he led the league with five complete games and posted a 2.79 ERA.
He is no longer the pitcher he once was but as a short-term solution, he is a very viable option. The 36-year-old has spent his last six season’s in San Francisco. From 2018-19 he was limited to 13 starts after undergoing Tommy John’s surgery.
Last season he helped the Giants clinch the best record in baseball.
In 22 appearances he owned a 7-7 record and a 4.08 ERA. Twenty-one of those 22 appearances were starts. In the 114 2/3 innings, he threw he had a 1.369 WHIP. An elbow strain caused him to miss the final month of the season.
While those numbers don’t jump off the page Cueto knows how to pitch. He has lost his fastball and relies on location and variations in his delivery. The fact that he has been in the league for 14 seasons speaks to his ability to adjust. At the very least he will be a valuable asset to the White Sox clubhouse.
Cueto has made eight career playoff starts. For his career, he owns a 135-97 record and a 3.45 ERA. The younger arms on the staff could learn a thing or two from his vast experience in the big leagues.
