Following the addition of Martín Perez the battle for a spot in the White Sox starting rotation has suddenly heated up.
Chris Getz wanted to add a veteran presence to the White Sox rotation. It’s now clear Perez is that veteran. The 33-year-old southpaw agreed to a one-year deal worth $5 million. In 13 MLB seasons, Perez earned an All-Star nod in 2022 after finishing the season with a 2.89 ERA and then won a World Series ring in 2023 with the Texas Rangers.
Last season he logged 135 innings for the Pirates and Padres, posting a 4.53 ERA. However, he threw well down the stretch after being traded to the Padres, producing a 3.46 earned run average while limiting opponents to a .235 batting average. Some of those improvements were due to him recovering from a groin injury that hampered him in June.
Perez has never been much of a strikeout pitcher. However, his 48.2 percent career ground ball rate is slightly higher than the league average. He also owns a respectable 8.3 percent walk rate, but that could get worse if tries to avoid contact to limit the damage of a shotty defense that made 90 errors last season. Because of this, defensive improvements will be paramount for his success on the south side.
Perez is now by far the most reliable veteran option the White Sox have in their stable. He owns a 90-87 record, with a 4.44 ERA in 314 career appearances, 269 of those being starts. His presence will provide some stability to a rotation filled with uncertainty. If he does fall out of the rotation he proved to be an effective reliever with the Rangers, posting a 2.70 ERA in 15 appearances out of their bullpen in 2023.
Left-hander Tyler Gilbert and right-hander Bryse Wilson were also brought in this off-season to compete for a job. Wilson has stated that his goal is to make 32 starts for the South Siders. Both pitchers will have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the White Sox starting rotation in Spring Training. If they fail to crack the rotation they figure to serve in a long relief role, similar to how Michael Soroka was used late last season.
It is unlikely that both Gilbert and Wilson are in the rotation at the same time. The White Sox have several young arms that they will need to outpitch including Jonathan Cannon, Drew Thorpe, Davis Martin, Nick Nastrini, Sean Burke, and Ky Bush.
Martin could be the Opening Day starter after unveiling a new kick changeup last season that helped him produce a 4.32 ERA and 21 percent strikeout rate in ten starts last season. While those numbers may not sound impressive, it was a noticeable increase from the 17 percent K rate he posted before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery in 2023. At 28 years old he could be a player the White Sox are looking to flip at the deadline if he gets off to a hot start. Burke also impressed last season in his limited sample size. Upon making his debut, he threw 19 innings and made three starts, posting a 1.49 ERA with 22 strikeouts.
Meanwhile Cannon, Thorpe, Nastrini, and Bush each had rookie campaigns filled with highs and lows. Cannon had a 4.49 ERA but won five games, which was a big accomplishment on a 121-win club. Thrope, who was the headliner in the Dylan Cease trade posted a 3.03 ERA in his first seven starts in the big leagues but finished the season with a 5.48 mark. Nastrini owned a gaudy 7.71 ERA but showcased flashes of potential with a four-seam fastball that limited opponents to a .189 batting average. Bush was given just four opportunities but turned in a quality start against the Astros in August after tossing six innings of one-run ball.
The young arms are going to have to scrap and claw for starting opportunities with two of the organization’s top prospects waiting in the wings. Noah Shultz and Hagen Smith likely won’t appear on the big league roster until later in the season, but the clock is ticking for young arms who want to carve out a role on the big league roster.
