Thornton or Crain will start as Sox closer
Some shaky closing dearly cost the White Sox last season.
After letting Bobby Jenks walk during the winter of 2011 — not a bad decision considering his subsequent medical woes — the Sox decided to let Matt Thornton pitch the ninth inning.
The ace setup man blew his first 4 save opportunities in April, although 2 were the direct result of left fielder Juan Pierre’s defensive blunders.
Another veteran setup man, Jesse Crain, got 7 save opportunities through the season. He blew 6 of them.
Sergio Santos did step up and perform in the pressurized role, saving 30 games in 36 tries.
But Santos was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays during the off-season, again leaving Thornton and Crain as the top two candidates to save games for the Sox.
Keep a close eye on Addison Reed, who made four quick stops in the minor leagues last year before joining the White Sox in September.
Reed looks like the Sox’ future closer, but he was pitching at San Diego State two years ago and still needs time to develop.
Manager Robin Ventura still is evaluating potential closers. He might wind up using the left-handed Thornton if multiple left-handed hitters are due up in the ninth inning, and the right-handed Crain if multiple right-handers are scheduled to hit.
“Not making it just those two (Thornton and Crain), but from a body of work they’re the best options,” Ventura told reporters over the weekend. “I don’t think it’s necessary to name someone now. We have capable guys. You see what you have first and see what your needs are.”
Let’s take a closer look at the three closer candidates:
Matt Thornton:
He’s got the big fastball to close, but the secondary pitch still is lacking, and Thornton seemed to tighten up a bit in the ninth inning last season.
And when there were defensive lapses behind him, Thornton failed to pitch over the mistakes.
“I think I learned a lot closing last year and I want to do it again this year,” Thornton said at the start of spring training. “I think I worried too much about what happened on the last pitch instead of concentrating on the next pitch.”
Thornton had a so-so 2011 season, even after moving back to his customary setup role when Santos was elevated to closer.
The 35-year-old lefty lost a career-high 5 games and his 3.32 ERA and 63 strikeouts were his worst totals since 2007.
Jesse Crain:
He didn’t fare so well in the ninth inning last season, but Crain’s overall numbers (8-3, 2.62 ERA, 70 strikeouts in 65 innings) were good.
Crain strained his right oblique in spring training last Wednesday and might not pitch until this weekend, at the earliest. If he misses too much time, Crain is unlikely to get a shot at closing, at least early on in the regular season.
There is one more concern — Crain is a flyball pitcher, and he allowed 7 home runs last season.
Addison Reed:
The 23-year-old Reed is pitching well this spring (1 earned run, 6 strikeouts in 5 innings), and there is no doubt he will make the 25-man roster.
Last year Reed dominated at four different minor-league levels: Class A Kannapolis, A Winston-Salem, AA Birmingham and AAA Charlotte.
In 6 appearances with the White Sox during the final month, Reed allowed 3 earned runs while striking out 12 in 7 innings.
The right-hander throws a fastball that regularly hits 97 mph, and Reed has a plus slider. If he gets a feel for the changeup, Reed could blossom into a standout closer.
Getting a brief taste of the major leagues last September has helped his confidence.
“Obviously, it makes me more comfortable now,” Reed said earlier in spring training. “I’m not walking on egg shells. Last year I was kind of nervous the first couple times I was up and throwing. After I got over those first couple innings, I felt like I was throwing in the minor leagues again.”
sgregor@dailyherald.com