This season has been a disaster, to say the least. The Sox are in 4th place in one of the worst divisions in all of baseball and give no reason for excitement. Most of the team will likely be traded at the deadline, so hopefully they can retool and be competitive soon. The fact that the White Sox have no pitching depth will be an interesting thing to monitor at the deadline, as they will have to find people to eat innings. The trade with Kansas City will help, but more will need to be done. Here are the grades for the pitchers....
Starters
Dylan Cease, C+
After a season where he finished second in Cy Young Voting, many people thought Cease had taken that next step. But, this year has not gone as planned for Cease, who currently has a 4.30 ERA. He has had some great games, but he has gotten rocked a lot more than he did last year. Hopefully, he can turn it around in the second half and get back to the dominant Cease we know.
Lucas Giolito, A
Easily our best pitcher this year, Gio is having his best season in a few years. He has earned himself a nice contract in the offseason, but I am not sure if it will be from the Sox. If, and it seems likely they do, trade Gio, they should get a nice haul.
Lance Lynn, D
The only reason that the grade is not lower is that he has pitched well recently, and that could convince a few teams to trade for him. His season has been filled with mostly bad starts, but he has had some dominant outings. You know he is giving it his all every time out there, the results just haven't been there this year. I expect him to be traded before the deadline.
Michael Kopech, C+
A true up-and-down season, he has yet to take that next step in his development. He has some very dominant starts that look like the stuff from a true ace, but then he will have a dud. He has the stuff to be a top-of-the-rotation guy, he just needs to be more consistent with his control.
Mike Clevinger, B
Only taking into consideration his performance on the mound, he has pitched very well this season. For a cheap one-year deal, he has outperformed it. Since he has a team option next year, he could be an attractive trade piece if he can show he is healthy, which could be a problem. Hopefully, he can get a good start in before the deadline, but that might not be likely.
Bullpen
Joe Kelly, B-
A rollercoaster of a year for him, but he has pitched much better from last year. He will likely be traded at the deadline, but he needs to get healthy first. He might be packaged in a deal for a starter to improve the haul.
Kendall Graveman, A-
He has had a very solid year and could get the White Sox a nice return at the deadline. He has taken over the closer role decently well but will concede it once Hendriks comes back if he is still on the team. Overall, a very good season.
Gregory Santos, A+++
An outstanding development, he has exceeded every single expectation. A true diamond in the rough, Santos has elite stuff and is still very young. I would like the Sox to keep him around unless they get an offer they can't refuse.
Keynan Middleton, A
Another diamond in the rough, Middleton has pitched extremely well this year and should get the White Sox a good prospect or two in a trade at the deadline. It would be good to sell high on him this year, especially considering he is a free agent after this season.
Aaron Bummer, D-
An absolutely horrible year for Bummer, as his ERA is 7+. While advanced reports say he is unlucky, he still has control issues and always seems to walk the lefty he comes into face. Hopefully, a team makes the Sox an offer for him at the deadline.
Reynaldo Lopez, C-
In a season where he was supposed to take over the closer role while Hendriks was out, he has disappointed. He has great stuff, but he hasn't put it all together this year. He is still a solid reliever, but since he is a free agent, he could be moved at the deadline.
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