To the dismay of many White Sox fans, the team has officially agreed to terms with Mike Clevinger on a minor-league deal that includes an invite to Spring Training. On Friday, White Sox general manager Chris Getz explained his reasoning for bringing Clevinger back for a third consecutive year.
“We felt like giving him a chance to see if he could help our team in some capacity was worth a look,” Getz told reporters on Friday. “Curious enough to see what it looks like in a minor league deal.”
While the move is low-risk for the White Sox, it quickly erased any goodwill Getz had built with the fanbase this offseason. Clevinger comes with off-the-field baggage, including past allegations of domestic and child abuse. Though MLB did not punish him following its investigation, he was required to enter therapy. On the field, he struggled to stay healthy in 2024, pitching just 16 innings across four starts before undergoing season-ending disc replacement surgery in his neck.
When he did take the mound, Clevinger was largely ineffective, posting a 6.75 ERA with an 11.5% walk rate and a .295 expected batting average against. It was a steep drop from the 3.77 ERA he recorded over 131.1 innings in 2023. Despite those respectable numbers, he remained unsigned until April 4, when the White Sox came calling.
Getz Explains Clevinger's Fit With Team
For the second straight year, Clevinger had to wait until Spring Training for an opportunity—and once again, it came from the White Sox. The timing of the move was also puzzling, considering the team already has at least nine pitchers competing for a rotation spot: Jonathan Cannon, Martín Pérez, Davis Martin, Bryse Wilson, Sean Burke, Drew Thorpe, Ky Bush, Nick Nastrini, and Jonathan Heasley. Because of this, Getz believes Clevinger’s best fit is in the back end of the bullpen.
“He’s got weapons to get both-sided hitters out,” Getz said. “Got the mentality to do it and he has pitched in big moments, traits to indicate he could be good in any role, including the back end.”
Over his eight-year MLB career, Clevinger has appeared in 156 games, but only 14 as a reliever.
In terms of his stuff, last season may have been an outlier due to his neck issues. There’s no denying the 33-year-old right-hander is a fierce competitor, but his four-seam fastball averages just 93 mph—below the league average for right-handers. He has also posted a below-average strikeout rate in each of the last three seasons.
The White Sox are already struggling to win back fan support after forcing them to endure a historic 121-loss season. Now, with the team projected to lose 100-plus games again, bringing back Clevinger raises a fair question: is the juice worth the squeeze?
