At Long Last, Carlos Rodon Is Ready To Pitch For The South Side

It certainly has not been an easy time for Carlos Rodon the first half of the 2017 season. When he was diagnosed with left bicep bursitis in Spring Training, the reports were that the White Sox were just being extra cautious with him. Some outlets even said he could have pitched through it if he absolutely needed to. Then a week went by, then a few more, and then the weeks dragged into months. I'd be lying if I said I was not starting to sincerely worry about his long-term health, or thinking there was something else seriously wrong. Luckily, it seems his rehab process is finally complete. Although he got roughed up in his rehab starts in the minors, his stuff was reportedly as good as it usually is. The defense behind him, not so much. Now that Rodon is 100% pain free, he can join Jose Quintana and the rest of the pitching staff.

What It Means

With Rodon back in the rotation, the White Sox have added another bonafide lefty arm. And with James Shields back healthy, and Miguel Gonzalez not too far away, Holland becomes the fifth starter in a now surprisingly deep rotation. The White Sox starters had 25 quality starts in 71 games entering this past Friday, and just 5 in the past 28. Now that the rotation is all but fully healthy, we should see that percentage get much better, at least in the weeks heading up to the trade deadline.

Too Good To Tank For Beer?

With Rodon returning to the rotation, fans that are obsessed with the #tankforbeer trend will probably worry that the team is bad, but not nearly bad enough to obtain a top 3 draft pick in next year's draft. Right now, that is indeed the case. The White Sox currently have a .438 win percentage. While that is bad, the Phillies, Giants, and Reds all have worse winning percentages. And the way they are playing this season, they are essentially locks to finish with worse records than the White Sox. Add in the fact that the Mets are said to be heavy sellers and the Athletics and Tigers are close to the same level of skill as the White Sox, and it is easy to see that getting a top 5 pick is going to be more difficult than some people may have thought. The good news for all you Beer fans (player and drink), is that he could very easily slip to 5, or even further within the next year. And if everything goes according to plan, Quintana, Frazier, Robertson, Melky, and others will be sold off in the upcoming weeks, further reducing the talent level of the big league club.

The Future Is Rodon's

Having all of the pitching prospects that the White Sox do is a great luxury. Michael Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito, Dane Dunning, and Alec Hansen are all going to be a joy to watch in the upcoming years. However, make no mistake: this is Rodon's rotation. He will be the longest tenured pitcher on the White Sox after Quintana gets traded, and has the experience and pure stuff to become the leader of the staff. He will serve not only as (one of) the Ace's, but also as a mentor to the young, up-and-coming arms.

Final Thoughts

Carlos Rodon making his return should delight fans near and far. When he is on, he can make hitters look foolish. His return could also make it easier for Rick Hahn to trade Quintana, Holland, or even Miguel Gonzalez. Rodon and Tim Anderson are said to be the only two untouchables at the deadline since their age and talent fit perfectly with the new plan. Many experts had Carlos as a breakout candidate of the year back in the Winter. If he can stay healthy and build off of last year, look for that prediction to become a reality.