CHGO White Sox Weekly: The curious case of the South Side's starting rotation

What’s up, Sox fans?

We’re getting close to Opening Day, which is less than two weeks away.

Speaking of that, make sure you hit our live show and watch party at the BallPark Pub before Opening Day on Thursday, March 28!

With that PSA out of the way, onto the newsletter …

Typically, the closer to the start of the season, the more clarity we have on what the roster is going to look like. This year? Not so much.

At least that’s the case on the pitching side, where the recent trade of Dylan Cease and the shipping of Michael Kopech to the bullpen have caused even more questions about what the staff is going to end up looking like. While Kopech and Steven Wilson, acquired from the Padres in the Cease deal, add a couple more sure things to the bullpen, the rotation is now a total mystery past free-agent signings Erick Fedde and Chris Flexen.

A day after Cease was traded, pitching coach Ethan Katz told reporters in Arizona the Sox were considering around 10 pitchers for the five rotation spots. That’s … a lot, particularly with so little time before the season starts.

So who are they choosing from?

As mentioned, there’s Fedde and Flexen, locks for the starting staff at this point. And while the pre-spring assumption by many that Michael Soroka would be part of the rotation come Opening Day might have had more than a little to do with name recognition and an All-Star season half a decade ago, the former Brave has looked good enough this spring to make that assumption an ultimately correct one.

The biggest mystery comes from what in the world the Sox plan to do with Garrett Crochet, whose quest to go from relieving to starting has featured some eye-popping performances in Cactus League games. Still, though, none of those dominant outings have been terribly lengthy, not exactly answering any of the big questions about whether Crochet — who’s only logged 73 major league innings — is physically capable of handling a starter’s workload, not to mention doing so as soon as Opening Day.

Will Crochet be part of the major league rotation? Will he continue to be slowly built up as a starter in the minor leagues? Will he gain innings as a multi-inning reliever in the big league bullpen? Whether it’s Getz, Pedro Grifol, Katz, Crochet or whoever, no one will give a very clear answer to that question. And the clock’s ticking.

Certainly, Crochet has pitched well enough to earn a shot. But is giving him that shot this quickly the best thing for him and the team? We’ll find out.

And that still leaves the Sox with another rotation spot to figure out. Who’s in the mix? Touki Toussaint, who has struggled this spring, is last candidate left standing on the 40-man roster after the team sent Jared Shuster to the minors Sunday. Veteran non-roster guys Brad Keller, Chad Kuhl and Jake Woodford remain in camp, as well.

And then there’s a duo of prospects, Nick Nastrini and Drew Thorpe. Nastrini was acquired in last summer’s trade with the Dodgers and has looked terrific this spring. Thorpe just joined the Sox as the headlining piece in the return for Cease, and Getz mentioned that the Padres were considering Thorpe for a spot in their Opening Day rotation.

But neither guy, as important to the Sox’ future as they might be, has amassed much time at the upper reaches of the minor leagues, Nastrini making four Triple-A starts after a late-season promotion last year and Thorpe with only five starts at Double-A.

If Grifol’s emphasis on competition and the best guy winning the job is true, Nastrini would figure to secure a spot. But the realities of player development and planning for the future often force different outcomes. Thorpe might have excited the Padres, and the Sox obviously think highly enough of him to have build the Cease trade around him. But he remains relatively inexperienced.

So a less exciting outcome for fans might play out, seeing a veteran like Toussaint or one of the non-roster guys make the rotation, at least initially. As Getz pointed out last week, there’s an “obsession” with the Opening Day roster, but things have a tendency to change quite quickly.

But more than anything, it remains surprising that this deep into camp there’s still so much to be decided.

Talk to you next week, Sox fans!

Vinnie Duber
CHGO White Sox beat reporter

PS — A friendly reminder that many issues of this newsletter will be Diehard exclusives during the regular season. ​Sign up now​ to ensure they’ll keep coming plus get access to ​our 2024 CHGO White Sox season guide​ and your choice of a CHGO t-shirt, including the ones in ​our new Chicago collection​!

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