The lockers on each side of Michael Kopech aren’t the only things that feel newly empty in the White Sox’ clubhouse after five fellow pitchers were traded.
‘‘[Lance Lynn] was a leader in the clubhouse,’’ Kopech said. ‘‘Having a lot of questions, maybe some anxieties about the game, he made it feel like it wasn’t an individual type of feeling and is something that maybe everyone feels.’’
Lynn and Lucas Giolito are gone. Mike Clevinger (activated off the injured list Saturday) is a pending free agent with a mutual option for 2024. Davis Martin will be rehabbing from Tommy John surgery into next season, and upper-minors pitching prospects have been plagued by injuries and struggles, too.
Beyond Dylan Cease and Kopech, projecting the Sox’ 2024 rotation is difficult. So much so that well-traveled Touki Toussaint throwing five scoreless innings Friday has potential relevance for the future.
‘‘I feel like I have the stuff to fulfill that role,’’ Garrett Crochet said Saturday. ‘‘I just want the opportunity to do it.’’
When Crochet, a 24-year-old left-hander, was selected 11th overall three years ago, the Sox certainly hoped he would be right in the middle of their rotation in 2024. But an express path to Chicago through the bullpen and eventual Tommy John surgery have limited Crochet to 70⅓ major-league innings since.
Crochet began his media session by clarifying that he intends to pitch again this season. A muscle strain in his left shoulder ended his rehab assignment prematurely this month and will keep him from throwing for another two or three weeks. In his first season back from Tommy John, Crochet has pitched only 10 innings for the Sox, with a 3.60 ERA, 11 walks and nine strikeouts.
‘‘I feel like [a starter’s] routine is a better routine for me, based on the bumps and bruises that have been happening to me [in relief],’’ Crochet said. ‘‘I just want the opportunity to do it. If I can’t, I’m more than willing to go back into the reliever role. That’s been my dream from the start. I’d like to at least either prove to myself I can or can’t, and then I can be at peace with that.’’
When Crochet was routed to the bullpen at the start of his pro career, his lack of innings and effectiveness in relief for a contending team were cited as reasons for why he was not ready to undertake a starter’s workload. Crochet’s inexperience logging heavy innings, dating to a college career in which his junior season was mostly wiped out by COVID, remains an issue.
Yet the state of their pitching is prodding the Sox to look in atypical directions.
‘‘There is a need for us to develop or acquire starters,’’ manager Pedro Grifol said. ‘‘We’ve spoken about it. We know his wants and what he’s motivated to do.’’
Grifol reiterated that all discussion of Crochet starting is premature before he recovers from his current injury and that the Sox wouldn’t assume his readiness after that, either. If Crochet were to convert to starting, Grifol said he thinks he would need to return to the minors to develop into that role, something Crochet made clear he’s willing to do.
‘‘That’s more than OK with me,’’ said Crochet, who amid a third stint on the injured list in his young career is hungry for more progress toward his long-term goals than he has enjoyed this season. ‘‘First year back [from Tommy John] is really just trying to stay on the field. Wish I could have done that a little bit better. So far in my career, I’ve had a lot of time on the IL. It is tough, but I still have a lot of baseball ahead of me.’’
Maybe there’s still a chance he has some starting ahead of him, too.
‘‘That’s certainly on the table,’’ Grifol said.
