The White Sox starting rotation saw a slew of names recycled through the five different spots all year long. Carlos Rodon did not debut until the middle of the season. Derek Holland got off to a hot start but then crashed hard and was DFA’d. James Shields was, for the most part, bad as usual. Even players such as Mike Pelfrey and David Holemberg started some games for the White Sox. The rotation during the first half and the beginning of the second is the biggest factor that led to the White Sox awful record. Without a true ace for the fist half, the White Sox quickly became one of the worst teams in the league.
That all began to change once Carlos Rodon reentered the rotation. He was able to be a stopper for the team until he went on the DL again towards the end of the year. Shortly after Rodon joined the team, Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito were both called up to the MLB as well. While both have had their share of rookie mistakes, they have also proven to everyone that they belong. Now we look ahead to 2018 and see what the rotation might look like.
Carlos Rodon
Biggest key- Health
When healthy, Rodon has shown he can be one of the better lefty starters in the game. Unfortunately, each year he seems to get put on the DL for a prolonged period of time. It will be curious to see what he does with his shoulder in the offseason, as he has not yet ruled out the possibility of surgery. If that winds up being the case, he is likely to miss the beginning of 2018. Best case scenario is that he does not require surgery, has an offseason focused on getting stronger, and is ready to go on 2018 Opening Day.
Lucas Giolito
Biggest Key- Confidence
Lucas Giolito has started seven games for the White Sox this season. Combined with his year in Triple-A, he has pitched 174 innings. It is because of this that the team has decided to shut him down for the rest of the year. The main goal for him next year will be to throw 200+ innings for the first time in his career. Giolito certainly didn’t disappoint in his brief stint on the South Side. In his seven games played, Giolito threw 45.1 innings to the tune of a 2.38 ERA. The biggest thing that led to his success was his confidence. While with the Nationals, he admittedly said he was nervous each time he pitched because they wanted to change up his throwing motion, putting him in unknown territory. This whole season, the White Sox have been helping Giolito get back to his normal ways that once had him throwing as the no. 1 pitching prospect in baseball. Now, Giolito knows his stuff plays in the MLB. Having his confidence at an all-time high heading into next season will be incredibly important for the young righty.
Reynaldo Lopez
Biggest Key- limit mistakes
Overall, Reynaldo had a great start to his White Sox career as well. However, in each of his starts it seemed like he would make one or two costly pitches that would cause his ERA to inflate. Sometimes it was a home run with a 2-2 count with 2 outs. Others it would be a hanging curveball with the bases loaded that was hit into the gap. This is why it was great to give him this experience. It gives he and pitching coach Don Cooper something to work on heading into next year. If he can continue to use his pure stuff to get batters out while cutting down on his mistakes, he could take a huge leap forward next season.
James Shields
Biggest Key- mentor youngsters, eat innings
James Shields will more than likely be back with the White Sox next season. Common knee-jerk reactions might instantly oppose this thought. However, it is not the worst thing in the world. Best case scenario is that he continues to mentor and help young pitchers such as Giolito, Lopez, and probably Michael Kopech at some point. Another thing Shields does well is eat innings. He can go out there without his best stuff and get knocked around a bit but still has the endurance to make it to at least the sixth inning. This is crucial to help preserve the bullpen once it gets to the dog days of August and September. I’m not arguing the case to keep Shields on the team, but he does have some qualities that will provide some use. He is also a candidate to potentially be DFA’d at some point after the All-Star break.
?
This offseason, I think Rick Hahn will try to bring in one more veteran starter on a one year deal that he can try to flip at the deadline for cash or a prospect. I am still not sold on Carson Fulmer being a longterm starter. I do believe he can be a lights out reliever for the team, but his delivery is much too violent to see him consistently throw six innings every fifth day. Now, Fulmer will get every chance to show he can be a starter, and he might even start next year as the no. 5. But at the end of the day, I think the White Sox can get the most out of him from the bullpen.
Michael Kopech
Biggest Key- Trust his stuff, limit walks
Kopech is probably starting the year in Triple-A, but he definitely won’t be there for long. I honestly see him making five starts there max and then he should be up on the South Side. When this happens, I think Carson Fulmer gets demoted to the bullpen. If this is the case, then both the rotation and bullpen will get stronger from one move. Kopech has the stuff to be an ace, that has never been a question. The thing that would worry me is him giving up too many walks. He did make huge strides in that department this past season while in Double-A and Triple-A. However, MLB batters are an entirely different animal. They know more and have seen more than any player in the minors have. If Kopech wants to see early success, then he is going to have to be patient and trust his stuff.
Alec Hansen
Biggest Key- throw strikes
Alec Hansen recently came out and said that he fully expects to be pitching in the majors before the end of 2018. So the confidence is there. The MiLB leader in strikeouts obviously has the pure stuff to be successful, but the tougher the competition gets, the more important it gets to throw strikes. Hansen has the chance to be the best pitcher on the staff in a few years time. However, he will only get there if he can get in front of batters and get better at framing the corners of the plate. If Hansen does make it to the White Sox in 2018, it would be a good time to bet on Shields or a free agent pitcher getting DFA’d to make room for him.
Final Thoughts
In 2018, we should not see as big a game of musical chairs in the starting rotation. We can all pencil in Rodon, Giolito, and Lopez to debut with the White Sox. I would be shocked if Shields was not included as well. That leaves a free agent, Michael Kopech, and possibly Alec Hansen as the final three who should see time starting in the White Sox rotation. This would give the young pitchers ample experience to gear up for a 2019 playoff run. And if the White Sox offense trends upwards, then maybe…just maybe, a 2018 playoff hunt as well.
