Reports: White Sox adding Clevinger to rotation

Mike Clevinger was a top-end starter from 2017-20, when he was a combined 41-20 with a 2.96 ERA for Cleveland and San Diego.

After being traded to the Padres midway through the 2020 season, which was shortened by COVID-19, Clevinger had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2021 campaign.

The right-hander was back on the mound with San Diego this year, but right knee and right triceps injuries limited him to 22 starts.

Clevinger went 7-7 with a 4.33 ERA and gave up 7 earned runs over 2⅔ innings in the playoffs before hitting the free-agent market.

According to multiple reports, the 31-year-old pitcher agreed to a contract with the White Sox on Sunday, pending a physical.

Jon Paul Morosi of the MLB Network reports the deal is worth more than $8 million for one year.

The Sox return starting pitchers Dylan Cease, who was second in American League Cy Young Award voting this season, Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito and Michael Kopech.

Johnny Cueto, who was an effective fifth starter for the White Sox this season, is a free agent.

"Obviously we need another starter," Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz said in mid-November. "That right now is our biggest need from the pitching standpoint. We're having dialogue. We'll see how things play out, but we do need another starter."

Katz was all for Cueto returning, but Clevinger has filled the spot.

If he can get healthy and find his old form, there's no doubt Clevinger can be an asset.

He did flash back to when he was one of the Guardians' top arms in his final start of the regular season.

Facing the White Sox on Oct. 1 in San Diego, Clevinger pitched 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 3 hits.

Clevinger was 13-8 with a 3.02 ERA and 207 strikeouts in 200 innings in 2018 and 13-4 with a 2.71 ERA in 21 starts the following year.