White Sox likely to go after a pitcher
Gavin Floyd is done for the season after having Tommy John surgery. If he is able to pitch at some point next year, it's not likely to be with the White Sox.
John Danks missed a full year after going down with a shoulder injury that required surgery. He's back but not nearly the same pitcher he once was. At least not yet.
Chris Sale had to skip a start in late May with tendinitis in his posterior throwing (left) shoulder. When he returned, the Sox' ace said his shoulder — and elbow — were feeling better. Those are dual red flags.
Jake Peavy has been the picture of ill health since 2008, and the 32-year-old righty had to make an early exit at Seattle Tuesday night with left rib pain.
On Wednesday, the White Sox announced Peavy had an MRI, which revealed a non-displaced rib fracture on his left side. He will be shut down for 4-6 weeks.
The rotation is in a fragile state, there's little doubt about that, so look for the White Sox to beef up with some pitching in the amateur draft.
The first round is Thursday, and the Sox have the 17th overall pick.
Considering Alexei Ramirez is nearing his 32nd birthday and there are no notable shortstop prospects in the Sox' farm system, it would be difficult to pass up a talent like California prep star J.P. Crawford should he slip to 17.
But given his age, Crawford likely would need at least 3-4 years of minor-league development, and the White Sox aren't in a position where they can afford to wait.
On a conference call Tuesday, amateur scouting director Doug Laumann said the Sox have targeted “five or six players” for their first pick.
“We know enough about the guys ahead of us,” Laumann said. “We are real confident one of the guys will remain available and we'll get a guy we really like.”
They have the 55th overall pick in the second round, so maybe the Sox can wait and grab a promising shortstop like Riley Unroe or Garrett Hampson, who also are high school talents.
Outside of Class AA Birmingham right-hander Erik Johnson, who is 5-2 with a 2.26 ERA over his first 11 starts, the White Sox are a little thin when it comes to quality minor-league starters.
That's why the feeling here is the Sox are going to grab a college starting pitcher with their first-round pick.
While Laumann and former general manager Kenny Williams are going to have plenty of input on the draft, first-year GM Rick Hahn has the ultimate say, according to Laumann.
Hahn loves pitching and understands the importance of the position, so that makes it even more likely the White Sox grab an arm at No. 17.
Here are five pitchers who could be on the board for the Sox:
Ryan Stanek, RHP, Arkansas:He was drafted No. 99 overall by the Seattle Mariners in 2010 but opted to play in college.Stanek is an all-American this season, and he improved to 10-2 Saturday after holding powerful Wichita State to 1 run on 2 hits over 71frasl;3 innings in an NCAA regional win.Marco Gonzalez, LHP, Gonzaga:After winning four state championships at Rocky Mountain (Colo.) High School, Gonzalez was a career 26-6 with an ERA just over 2.00 with the Zags.He's also a major-league-caliber hitter, but Gonzalez's nasty changeup should get him to a major-league rotation soon.Chris Anderson, RHP, Jacksonville:Anderson has a powerful arm and can strike out opposing hitters with his fastball or slider. He comes from an unknown Florida college, but so did Sale (Florida Gulf Coast).Alex Gonzalez, RHP, Oral Roberts:He has been moving up draft boards all spring, and the White Sox are interested. Gonzalez can throw quality strikes with his fastball, change and slider.Jonathon Crawford, RHP, Florida:He made a name for himself last year, pitching a no-hitter against Bethune-Cookman in the NCAA tourney. This year the Gators' ace slipped a bit while going 3-6 with a 3.84 ERA, but he's still projected as a high draft pick.sgregor@dailyherald.comScouting reportWhite Sox vs. Oakland Athletics at U.S. Cellular FieldTV: Comcast SportsNet Thursday, Friday and Sunday; WGN SaturdayRadio: WSCR 670-AMPitching matchups: The White Sox' Jose Quintana (3-2) vs. Dan Straily (3-2) Thursday at 7:10 p.m.; Chris Sale (5-3) vs. Jarrod Parker (4-6) Friday at 7:10 p.m.; John Danks (0-2) vs. Tommy Millone (6-5) Saturday at 3:10 p.m.; Hector Santiago (1-4) vs. A.J. Griffin (5-4) Sunday at 1:10 p.m.At a glance: Following a miserable road trip to Wrigley Field, Oakland and Seattle, the White Sox have to be happy to come home with a one-game winning streak. They were swept by the A's in Oakland last weekend while being outscored 9-3. The A's are on a roll with 16 wins in 19 games. Santiago is scheduled to come out of the bullpen to replace the injured Jake Peavy (fractured rib). Manager Robin Ventura is going to miss the next two games to attend family graduations. Bench coach Mark Parent will miss Friday and Saturday for the same reason. Parent will manage Thursday and pitching coach Don Cooper manages Friday.Next: Toronto Blue Jays, Monday-Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field— Scot Gregor