Could White Sox Sign Mike Clevinger? Chicago "Showing Strong Interest"

The Chicago White Sox are showing 'strong interest' in free agent pitcher Mike Clevinger, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported late Friday night. Clevinger, 31, last pitched for the San Diego Padres from 2020 through 2022.

The Chicago White Sox are showing 'strong interest' in free agent pitcher Mike Clevinger, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported late Friday night.

White Sox showing strong interest in free-agent right-hander Mike Clevinger, sources tell @TheAthletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 26, 2022

Clevinger last pitched for the San Diego Padres in 2022, after missing all of 2021, recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Clevinger, who turns 32 next month, experienced his worst big league season in 2022, since his rookie year, going 7-7 with a 4.33 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 114.1 innings pitched and 22 starts.

Clevinger made his final appearance of the 2022 season in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, when he allowed three runs on three hits, one walk and a home run, before being pulled from the game in the first inning without recording a single out. It was the first time since the 1932 World Series where two pitchers failed to get out of the first inning in a postseason game.

The White Sox currently have four starting pitchers — Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech — on their depth chart. If the Sox sign Clevinger, he could help fill out their pitching rotation.

If Clevinger signs with the White Sox, he will be returning to the American League Central, a division in which he found great success in as a member of the Cleveland Indians.

From 2017 through 2019, Clevinger posted a 38-18 record and 2.96 ERA.

After Clevinger violated COVID-19 safety protocols during the shortened 2020 season, the Indians traded him to the San Diego Padres along with Matt Waldron and Greg Allen on Aug. 31 in exchange for Cal Quantrill, Josh Naylor, Austin Hedges, Owen Miller, Joey Cantillo and Gabriel Arias. Three months later, the Padres signed Clevinger to a two-year contract extension through 2022. That same day, it was announced that Clevinger would undergo Tommy John surgery, sidelining him from action in 2021.

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