Carlos Rodón entered the season as one of those guys you could mentally account as a midseason acquisition. The White Sox filled out a rotation over the winter as if Rodón wasn't going to be a part of it, but if Rodón could return to something resembling full strength by the All-Star break, the White Sox could treat him like a $20 bill inside a winter coat.
The pandemic tried to put Rodón on a different timeline, because with the season starting in late July, he had enough time to recover for the greatly delayed Opening Day. He could pitch a full season without actually pitching a full season, the calendar finally meeting him on his terms for once. Alas, because natural forces seem hellbent on relegating Rodón to "concept" status no matter the circumstances, Rodón suffered a sore shoulder in his second start.
Throwing over in Schaumburg, Rodón is back in his most experienced role, which is a pitcher who might be able to help in Rick Hahn's favorite time frame: "the not-too-distant future." And the White Sox are back in their uncomfortable position of needing him more than they'd want to admit, because Hahn couldn't find a way to supplement the rotation at the trade deadline.
The White Sox weren't in an ideal position to deal. The lack of minor-league baseball prevented their farm system from restoring some substance to a top-heavy farm system. The Padres could throw a boatload of guys at the Indians and Mariners for immediate help because they won't have room on their 40-man roster anyway, whereas the White Sox basically need every decent prospect they have on hand. If Hahn didnt want to deal a Benyamin Bailey for a past-his-prime starter, I can't say I'd blame him. The scars are too fresh.
There's just going to be a unsatisfying tension for the next few weeks, because the hopes for starting pitching help are going to rest on people who have exhausted faith. Rodón has some work to do in order to prevent his ERA from rising for a fifth straight season.
- 2015: 3.75
- 2016: 4.04
- 2017: 4.15
- 2018: 4.18
- 2019: 5.19
- 2020: 9.53
And then there's Reynaldo López, whose fastball is starting to have a decent amount of carry, only to lose a tick or two of needed velocity to make his approach work multiple times through the order. The White Sox might still hold out hope for a breakthrough because panic and Gio González are not options, but you're allowed to be more discerning.
A few other players who are under the gun:
Dylan Cease: The uncertainty over the last two rotation spots would be more tolerable if Cease could stabilize in the third spot. He's working on the world's ugliest 3.00 ERA, throwing more starts with six walks (one) than six strikeouts (zero). The inconsistency is forgivable, what with this being his first full season and all. He was just supposed to be able to work out these kinks in the fourth or fifth spot, rather than being the brightest hope for acceptability after Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel.
Dane Dunning: The aforementioned Cease-sickness could diminish if Dunning keeps doing what he's doing. It's just a little unreasonable to expect a 40 percent strikeout rate from a guy who hadn't thrown a pitch in anger for two years, especially since his velocity dropped from his first start (94.4 mph max fastball) to his second (92.7 mph). Every adequate outing is a blessing.
Ross Detwiler: Hahn elaborated on Aaron Bummer's situation, saying the biceps strain has healed, but a nerve issue has surfaced in its place. Bummer could be placed on the 45-day injured list in order to open a roster spot, because he's already more than halfway into serving the duration. He wouldn't be out for the season, but I wouldn't count on seeing last year's high-leverage revelation for the rest of 2020.
In the meantime, it'd help if the White Sox could figure out what they're doing with Detwiler. It seemed like Renteria originally pulled Detwiler from long relief to save for late-inning situations, but Jace Fry's recent roll as a full-inning threat made another lefty less necessary. That's great, but now it's probably time to figure out how to reapply Detwiler more usefully, because he was pitching too well to be used in garbage time.
There's a stat called leverage index, which measures the importance of a relief situation based on its effect on win probability. A LI of 1.00 is neutral/medium-leverage, while a typical save situation rates between 2.00 and 2.50. Here are Detwiler's over his last five outings:
As long as González is on the shelf with a groin strain, and as long as the White Sox have three right-handed starters with in-game endurance issues, the Sox have better ways to deploy a multiple-inning lefty.
Nomar Mazara: The White Sox bypassed the opportunity to add outfield help, so Mazara is going to be expected to hold up the larger half of the right-field platoon the rest of the way. His production continues to take a bizarre shape, as he's hitting .242/.333/.288 with three doubles over 75 plate appearances, but he's cushioned the larger disappointment by hitting 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and with strong plate appearances as a midgame replacement.
There are signs of a revival in his legs, as he's raised his sprint speed from 24.7 feet per second a fortnight ago to 25.7 ft/s. That's still below his career standards, but he's managed to make a couple catches I didn't expect based on his earliest displays of his range.
His average exit velocity (87.8 mph) and launch angle (4 degrees) remain flaccid. Overall, his tenability is as fragile as Cease's, although he at last has four seasons of being a 20-homer guy with the Rangers to expect him to find some sort of power in time. The Sox will need him to rediscover that swing.
Danny Mendick: Yoán Moncada has an acute case of "vague leg," which means Mendick is still getting playing time even after Nick Madrigal booted him from second base. Mendick has responded by going 1-for-13 with eight strikeouts over his last three games, and his once-enviable plate discipline is starting to crumble. Overexposure is a threat for the 22nd-round pick, so it'd be terrific if Moncada were ultimately able to avoid a stint on the injured list without moving like he left his cane on the other side of the room. Failing that, Mendick will have to patch up the leaks that have sprung in his plate coverage. Yolmer Sánchez provides some experienced support, sure, but he also hasn't faced full-bore competition in 2020. Mendick seems more cut out for being the guy behind the guy, even if he isn't.
(Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire)
