Is there a chance Clevinger returns to White Sox in 2024? Signs point to no, but it's not a slam dunk
The hunch here is still the same.
When the season ends, the White Sox are going to decline Mike Clevinger's $12 million option for 2024 and opt for the $4 million buyout.
That decision is reached for two reasons.
First, Clevinger is a health risk. The 32-year-old starting pitcher was sidelined from June 15 through Aug. 3 with a biceps injury and he missed the final two weeks of May with a sore wrist.
Last year, Clevinger was limited to 22 starts with the Padres due to knee and triceps injuries. He missed the entire 2021 season recovering from his second Tommy John surgery.
Second, the Sox are trying to get their clubhouse culture cleaned up. This is what general manager Rick Hahn had to say about that on Aug. 1 after trading seven veterans before the deadline.
"The last several months, one thing that has come from a very disappointing season is you get to know a lot about a person, what makes them tick," Hahn said. "Times of crisis really shows you what a person is made of, and that can be good and that can be bad. There's been some disappointment in terms of how people have behaved and reacted to the adversity here and that factors in when you're trying to build a positive winning culture.
"Going forward, that's going to be part of the evaluation. Guys who have each other's backs, guys who work toward winning as a team, guys who put the team above personal interests."
Clevinger has not created any waves in the clubhouse, but the White Sox were stung shortly after signing him when news broke in late January he was being investigated by MLB for alleged domestic violence.
When spring training opened in mid-February, Hahn said the Sox had no knowledge of the charges against Clevinger. The GM did say the signing was a "calculated risk" due to Clevinger's past "maturity issues," but not for domestic violence.
"There was no indication of anything close to what is being alleged in this guy's background," Hahn said.
Clevinger was cleared by MLB in early March, but there were some serious distractions in the first two weeks of the Sox's training camp.
That's all in the past now, but it still looks like Clevinger's time with the White Sox is going to be limited to one season.
However, the decision no longer appears to be a slam dunk.
The Sox did tear down the roster at the trade deadline, but not completely.
Core pieces headed by Luis Robert Jr. and Dylan Cease are returning in 2024 and the White Sox will still be playing in the AL Central, baseball's weakest division.
As it stands now, Cease is the only reliable starter in the 2024 rotation.
Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn were traded and Michael Kopech is 2-3 with a 6.23 ERA in 6 starts since the all-star break. The erratic right-hander has also walked 23 in 26 innings during the second half.
Not only is Clevinger feeling good, he's been effective.
"Finally being healthy, can chalk it up to the work we do in the training room with the trainers and the strength coaches," Clevinger said. "Grateful to be healthy and having fun out there and not have some ailment."
After pitching 7 shutout innings in Wednesday night's 4-3 walk-off loss to the Cubs, Clevinger is 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 4 starts since the break.
"He's been electric," manager Pedro Grifol said. "And he's getting stronger. I saw a couple pitches up to 98 (mph). When he's touching that type of velo, he's pretty electric."
As usual, starting pitchers are going to be in demand this winter. The Sox are going to need two or three, and time will tell if Clevinger's name is on the table.
"It's great to be back out there," Clevinger said. "The stuff I went through, the setbacks, it allows me to enjoy the game a little bit more. I'm out there now and I love the pressure and all that stuff. It's really fun to be out there and feel like myself."