Rotation, fortified: The White Sox added a solid No. 2, and a southpaw to boot, in Dallas Keuchel. (@KidKeuchy)
Per Jeff Passan and other sources, Dallas Keuchel and the Chicago White Sox have reached an agreement on a three-year, $55.5 million deal with a vesting fourth year option that could take the contract to $74 million.
Keuchel started 19 games with the Braves in 2019, going 8-8 with a 3.75 ERA in 112 ⅔ innings. Keuchel is a left-handed sinkerballer who gets tons of ground balls, which will serve him well in the homer-friendly G-Spot. DK should immediately step in to the No. 2 slot of the Sox rotation, and is a nice contrast to the rotation’s right-handed power pitchers Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Reynaldo López.
What the addition means for the 2020 White Sox
The Sox now have a couple things that they haven’t had on their pitching staff in a long time: depth and flexibility. Keuchel is steady if unspectacular at this point in his career. He’s not the Cy Young winner he was for the Astros in 2015, but he’s still good. He will keep you in games and eat innings for you, and that’s something the Sox sorely need.
Barring injury setbacks to some of the guys coming back from Tommy John, the Sox will have a good amount of depth and flexibility on their pitching staff. Maybe the Sox decide Michael Kopech or López would be best served pitching in the back end of their bullpen in 2020. Considering relief pitching market isn’t strong right now, those are the exact type of internal options a team with aspirations to compete would need. When the inevitable injury bug bites the Sox in 2020, and it will, they have actual major league pitching options to fill in. There shouldn’t be any more time for the Dylan Coveys, Odrisamer Despaignes, Ross Detwilers, or Hector Santiagos of the world.
Keuchel is the fourth big addition the White Sox have made, after Yasmani Grandal, Gio González and Nomar Mazara. If the Sox can add another right-handed bat (think Edwin Encarnacion, Marcell Ozuna, or Nicholas Castellanos), count on continued development from their young players, and add a bullpen piece or two, they can realistically compete for a playoff spot next year.
So sit back, relax, and strap it down: 2020 is going to be a wild ride!
South Side Hit Pen 
f***in’ ay
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Now that the Sox aren’t in the market for Price, I wonder how eager the Red Sox would be to unload JD.
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In the AL Central, a playoff spot is now very possible. Good thing about the Sox signings is that they did not sell out the future.
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Great news. Merry Christmas fellow Sox fans!!!!!
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I vote YES!
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I have to give Rick credit. After shooting his mouth off last year and then falling flat on his face, he’s gotten it done so far this off season (and he may not be done—right fielder, bullpen are still works in progress.)
regarding the starting staff, as I wrote, come the trade deadline IF they can avoid numerous injuries, they could have the most precious commodity in the game to deal, starting pitching.
And teams will fall all over themselves to get it.
To me here’s how the Opening Day rotation could look:
1. Giolito
2. Keuchel
3. Cease
4. Kopech
5. Gonzales
Lopez opens in the bullpen and the “swing” man when the DH start piling up (and with the Sox opening in the middle of March you can damn well be sure there are going to be numerous snow/rain outs)
Come July Rodon and/or Dunning could be in the mix.
Nice “problem” to have isn’t it?
Reminds me of 1983 when the Sox had SEVEN guys on the roster who at one time or another won at least 10 games in a season: LaMarr Hoyt, Rich Dotson, Floyd Bannister, Britt Burns, Jerry Koosman, Randy Martz and Steve Mura.
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Looks like they might have a winning season, maybe even the Playoffs
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A winning season should be the goal, anything over and above that would be gravy.
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Shoot higher. There is no Houston or New York around, not even TB or the Oaks.
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There’s still a Minnesota team that could be very, very good again. I’m not saying don’t try…all I’m saying is that after seven straight losing years if they win say 85 games and continue the rebuild process making progress, I won’t throw a fit.
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Steve Mura?
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Yep…look him up. Pitched for the Cardinals in the 82′ World Series, pitched OK in the N.L. The Sox got him and he never appeared in a game in 1983. The rotation was that good and that deep.
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The great thing about this offseason is even if they suffer some injuries, they actually have some depth to possibly survive them.
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I like it, but I’d be surprised if Lopez didn’t at least start the season in the rotation. I expect Kopech to either start in the minors, or in the bullpen to keep his innings down.
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