It was only three years ago the Chicago White Sox looked as if they could have a solid rotation for years, headed by Carlos Rodón, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech. All four had no-hit stuff, and Rodón and Giolito recorded no-hitters in Sox uniforms. But the best-laid plans of former general manager Rick Hahn didn’t pan out. Rodón left as a free agent, Giolito was dealt to the Los Angeles Angels last summer and after Wednesday’s trade of Cease to the San Diego Padres for three prospects and a reliever, Kopech is the last one standing.
And on Thursday, Kopech was sent to the bullpen. Meet the new rebuild. Same as the old rebuild? General manager Chris Getz has been reluctant to label his plan as such, but by dealing his ace two weeks before the season begins, there’s really no other way to look at it. The Sox are coming off a 101-loss season with little chance of competing for a postseason spot this year, and Cease was their best trading chip. Getz wisely held on to Cease at the winter meetings in December when he couldn’t find the right deal, and Cease’s value only rose during spring training with some big-name pitcher injuries driving up the price tag. With the organization in flux, it was a move he had to make.
Two top free-agent starters – former Padres ace Blake Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, and the Texas Rangers’ Jordan Montgomery – remained unsigned as of late Wednesday, making Cease the most sought-after starter for teams looking to add pitching without paying the high asking price of agent Scott Boras. With two years left before free agency and a relatively affordable $8 million salary, Cease should fit in well in San Diego, giving the Padres another ace to go with former Cub Yu Darvish. The four-player haul the Sox received includes 23-year-old starting pitcher Drew Thorpe – the No. 5 prospect in the Padres organization, according to MLB Pipeline – and Jairo Iriarte, a 22-year-old right-hander with a 98 mph fastball who was ranked eighth in the organization. They also got 19-year-old Venezuelan outfielder Samuel Zavala, ranked seventh, and reliever Steven Wilson, who joins the bullpen along with Kopech.
