6/5 Game

[iamshack]

 

this system needs more left handed pitching. Outside of Guerrero; Purke, Clark and Flores are the only of note to me.

Said every system ever...

[Chicago White Sox]

hell of a start by Giolito, I stand firmly on the take a step back from the ledge camp. Tall pitchers let alone ones that are being completely rebuilt often take time and Floyd and Halladay are recent examples of this.

 

Giolito's last 5 starts

28IP

2.57 ERA

1.14 WHIP

8.36 K/9

 

Guerrero has been quietly turning it around once he got out of April.

 

A future staff of

Giolito

Rodon

Kopech

Guerrero

Hansen

 

with Burdi, Fulmer & Lopez shutting it down out of the pen is something to dream on.

Lopez should be the first guy called up this season and I think he sticks as a quality #3 type starter. I've defended Giolito all season, but he needs to keep this up a while longer before I peg him as the guy to lead our future rotation. To me, that guy is no doubt Kopech. He obviously needs more time to build up innings and work on his control, but you can't question his stuff and how incredible he's been so far in his short minor league career.

 

Rodon should hopefully claim the #2 spot (assuming we don't trade him) and slot in between Kopech & Lopez. That leaves two spots long-term that need to be filled between Giolito, Fulmer, Stephens, Adams, Guerrero, Cooper, Dunning, Martinez, Hansen, & Flores. Giolito & Hansen are obviously the guys you want to work out, as they both have TOR upside, but the other guys provide a great blend of floor and ceiling. In particular, I have a lot of confidence in Adams & Dunning becoming major league starters in some capacity down the road.

 

What's going to be interesting is to see how they phase these guys in over time. Come August 1st, we should have at least two openings in the rotation. One spot should go to Lopez, the other is up for grabs if Giolito or Fulmer wants to claim it. Otherwise, you're looking at more fringey guys like Danish or possibly Cooper getting a look. But with a bunch of legit SP prospects in AA plus the aforementioned guys in Fulmer & Giolito, we're going to hit a traffic jam at some point in 2018. By then you can expect another two spots being open and it's going to be extremely competitive to get those spots. At it stands today, our starting pitching depth appears to be in great shape.