Chisox.com article about 5th starter:

[CSF]

Who's taking the fifth?

Wright, Grilli lead battle for rotation's final spot

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com Tickets Scoreboard Fantasy

 

 

With another solid outing, Dan Wright looks ready to assume the final spot in the rotation. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)

 

 

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The fifth starter's saga for the White Sox has not quite been resolved, even after Dan Wright and Neal Cotts turned in solid efforts Thursday during a minor league intrasquad game.

But manager Ozzie Guillen cleared up some confusion by limiting the competition to only two candidates for the starting vacancy. Well, maybe three.

 

OK, there are no more than four candidates for the last position -- at this point.

 

"This is the toughest decision of Spring Training, and I don't want to make the decision just to say I've made the decision and we have a fifth starter ready," said Guillen, who watched Wright and Cotts in action during the team's lone off day in Arizona.

 

"I would like (Wright) to be the No. 5 starter," Guillen added. "But we have other guys throwing the ball well."

 

Realistically, it looks as if Jason Grilli is the only other challenger to Wright. It also appears that both pitchers will make the team, with the runner-up pitching in long relief.

 

But Guillen also likes the way Cotts has thrown the ball, as well as 6-foot-11 right-hander Jon Rauch. If neither of these hurlers earns the fifth starter's job, they will both start the season at Triple-A Charlotte. Guillen echoed pitching coach Don Cooper's sentiments from Wednesday in that it would be better for Cotts and Rauch to get their innings in the minors instead of waiting on the bench for sporadic work.

 

That concept became clear Thursday, after Cotts' five-inning, 68-pitch effort. The 24- year-old left-hander allowed five hits and three runs, including a Derry Hammond home run, while striking out five and walking two.

 

"Cotts is a big question," Guillen said of his left-hander. "He has thrown the ball well, but I don't want to waste a good, young arm in the bullpen. I don't want him to sit there and not know when he's going to pitch.

 

"It's the same way with Rauch. I want them to get innings to get ready, in case we need them. Right now, we are making the decision between Grilli and Rauch for the fifth spot. If Wright is the fifth starter, then Grilli is on the team right now in the bullpen."

 

Wright pitched six innings Thursday, allowing eight hits and four runs. He gave up Carlos Maldonado's three-run home run in the fifth and Guillermo Reyes' solo blast in the sixth.

 

But Wright pointed to only one walk, allowed near the end of his 73-pitch effort, as Thursday's biggest positive. It's a trend Wright has produced all spring, after walking 156 over 349 career innings. Wright came into camp both physically and mechanically sound, and the offseason work on his delivery has paid big dividends.

 

That sense of confidence left Wright at ease when he arrived in Tucson, not worried about what might happen during Cactus League play or his chances to make the team. Wright seemed eager to take the mound for his next start, as opposed to worried about some of the shots he gave up in the later innings on the back fields at Tucson Electric Park.

 

"I probably ran out of gas because I left two pitches right down the middle of the plate," Wright said of the home runs. "Both of those balls were hit. Other than that, I was fine.

 

"I had good command of all three pitches and got a lot of ground balls. I'm just anxious to pitch -- it doesn't matter where."

 

Wright has more than just the best command on the pitching mound he's had in some years. He also has a good grip on the entire fifth starter's situation. Even if the process takes another week, Wright is ready for the continued competition.

 

"You believe in yourself and go out and take care of what you can," Wright said. "I leave the decisions to them. But I've had a good spring, and I'm pleased with my command."

 

"I want another outing for Dan over there (in a Major League game) because you can lose your focus against the free-swingers (in the minor leagues)," Guillen said. "He got hit good, but he threw the ball well. We will probably go the next time for each one and make a decision."

 

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs

 

Looks like Charlotte for Cotts and Rauch again. At least, that's what I took from that article.

[SuperSteve]

I gathered AAA aswell.

[Jordan4life_2007]

So it looks like it's gonna be Wright and Grilli, Im cool with that...

[YASNY]

It's nice to know we have a lefty and a righty available is any of the starters faulter or get hurt.

[Cali]

I don't know what this obession is with Grilli. Maybe it's a pride thing, Kenny doesn't want to give him back to Florida, but come on. I don't think he been that good for the Sox so far. Didn't he just have a 5 walk game?