Free agency was slower than usual in MLB during the 2023-24 offseason.
In fact, there are still many top names unsigned: people talk more about Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and J.D. Martinez for obvious reasons, but there are also guys in the mid and lower tiers who are still available.
One of them is a former Chicago White Sox pitcher who is being considered for a return to the South Side after they traded away their ace, Dylan Cease, on Wednesday night.
“Now that the Chicago White Sox traded Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech is being moved to the bullpen, they are internally discussing the possibility of bringing back free-agent starter Mike Clevinger. Clevinger was their most consistent starter last year: 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale tweeted.
Now that the Chicago White Sox traded Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech is being moved to the bullpen, they are internally discussing the possibility of bringing back free-agent starter Mike Clevinger. Clevinger was their most consistent starter last year: 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 14, 2024
Of course, Clevinger is no Cease, but truth be told, both pitchers could potentially finish with a similar ERA in 2024.
He is still an effective pitcher even if he is not the pitcher he used to be in his prime.
The 33-year-old right-hander posted a 3.77 ERA in 131.1 innings last year with the Pale Hose, his last MLB team.
He also owns a career 3.45 ERA with a solid 60-39 record.
Teams have not shown much interest in Clevinger, but according to Nightengale, they could be open to a reunion.
There have been, at least, internal discussions to pursue him.
The White Sox are, at the moment, one of the worst teams in baseball after trading Cease.
They could compete with the Oakland Athletics and the Colorado Rockies for the embarrassing “worst record in MLB” title in 2024.
Clevinger wouldn’t change the equation too much, but he is still a decent pitcher capable of reliably taking the ball every five days.
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