White Sox Offseason Needs: Starting Pitching, Stop Gap Edition

This is the second part of a three part series that talks about an offseason need for the White Sox. In this series, it will be talked about how the Pale Hose will need to fill the need of starting pitching in 2021. For the second part of this series, it will talk about the stop gap options and who are the options that fit best. This does not mean they will go this direction, but it is an option. Let's take a look at some players the club will take into consideration if they go the stop gap route.

Michael Kopech

It's unfair to call Kopech a stop gap option based on the type of talent he is, but considering he is coming off Tommy John surgery and having spent the entire 2020 campaign off after opting out due to the coronavirus pandemic and personal reasons, he is exactly that at the moment. No one knows how much the injury will affect him or how he will be after taking time away from the game, but if he's back to his normal self then he should light it up. It will be interesting how Kopech performs in the spring, but if he does well and lives up to the hype, then the Sox have a great pitcher out of the five spot.

Bernardo Flores

Flores is a southpaw pitcher who is highly thought of, however, he is unlikely to be considered for the rotation. He only pitched two innings in 2020, but he could be used as an opener from time to time. Flores does provide durability, but is probably more suited for a bullpen role and could be a trade chip.

Reynaldo Lopez

The cautionary tale of Lopez. Lopez has really great stuff and when he is on, he is very hard to beat. However, after a very good 2018, Lopez has not been consistent and seems lost. It's not quite sure why Lopez has not been able to harness his stuff consistently, but it seems to be more of a mental issue rather than mechanics. Maybe having Lopez pitch out of the bullpen will be the best for him to see if he can work on himself. Either way, patience is growing thin within the organization, so this will be his last chance to see if he can be a part of the team in the long term.

Carlos Rodon

If Lopez is on thin ice, Rodon is walking on lava. Rodon might have some great stuff and was a first round draft pick, but injuries have really been hurting his chances. While the hope was that he was going to develop into an ace, not being able to stay healthy has hindered his chances. This will be Rodon's last chance, but if he is not effective, he is gone. It might be worth keeping him around as a reliever.

Jonathan Stiever

Stiever only pitched 6.1 innings in 2020, but the Sox are high on him. Stiever does provide good depth and has great control, so it might be wise to keep him around just in case of possible future problems that might arise. However, Stiever could be used as a trade chip if the team needs to make a massive deal at the deadline when making a pursuit at a World Series championship.

Most likely to start: Kopech. This was the obvious choice as Kopech is seen as a stud pitcher who might even have some of the best raw stuff of the young pitchers they have. There is so much upside having him as the fifth starter, but they could always have him pitch out of the bullpen to be eased in. Either way, if this is the direction the team goes, Kopech has this spot for sure.