Chicago White Sox Set to Make Surprising Move with Veteran Pitcher

Mike Clevinger, who re-signed with the Chicago White Sox this offseason, is headed to the bullpen.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (52) delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field in 2024. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago White Sox are making a surprising move by sending veteran pitcher Mike Clevinger to the bullpen this year.

New manager Will Venable thinks that Clevinger has the mindset for the switch. The following comes from MLB.com:

“It certainly seems like he's got the right mentality for it,” Venable said of Clevinger moving to relief. “Everything looks really crisp, and just hopefully we can continue to give him opportunities to see what it looks like out of the bullpen and hopefully it all lines up."

Now 34, Clevinger is heading into the ninth year of his career with the Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres and White Sox. This will mark his third straight year in Chicago, though he was injured much of 2024 and made just four appearances, going 0-3.

Lifetime, he's 60-42, with three separate seasons of double-digit wins under his belt. He's made 156 appearances in his career, with only 14 of them coming out of the bullpen.

The White Sox went 41-121 in 2024, setting the Modern Era record for losses, and it doesn't figure to be much better this year. The team traded away All-Star Garrett Crochet over the offseason and will look for development from several young players and prospects as the season moves on.

Should Clevinger pitch well and stay healthy, he could see himself traded at the deadline in the same way that the Sox dealt Erick Fedde, Tommy Pham, and Paul Dejong a season ago.

Chicago opens the season on March 27 against the Angels.

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