The Chicago White Sox have come out of no where to contend for AL Central this season. Take a look at our White Sox Season Preview to get an idea how out of the blue their success is. They currently sit 10 games over .500, and 2.5 games ahead of the runaway-favorite Detroit Tigers. Big seasons from Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko, Jake Peavy, and Chris Sale, and the injection of a revitalized Kevin Youkilis, have contributed to the ChiSox persisting success, but the team really does need more starting pitching.
John Danks and Gavin Floyd, the White Sox two work horses were supposed to pile up the quality innings, but they’ve combined for just 27 starts. Jake Peavy has a history of injury and, though he is having a great comeback season, can’t really be counted on to finish as strong as he started given that he’s already thrown more innings than in any season since 2008. Chris Sale, arguably the best White Sox pitcher this season, is a former reliever who is in his first tour in any rotation at any professional level, has never thrown as many innings as he’ll soon be asked, and has already had one bout with elbow soreness this season. It’s clear that if this team wants to do something in October, they need another pitcher.
Rumor had it that GM Kenny Williams was deep into talks with the Milwaukee Brewers for their starting stud before the Angels acquired Greinke two days ago. The problem for Williams, besides his periodic stretches of incompetence, was that the White Sox have, objectively, the worst farm system in the major leagues. So, instead of Greinke, Williams settled for his second choice, Twins lefty Francisco Liriano.
Liriano has been on the market for a while and it was known that he would most likely be dealt to some contender or another. The thing is, Fransico was by far the riskiest starting pitcher available. Like Williams, he battles periods of utter incompetence.
Liriano has the potential to be unhitable; he took the league by storm in 2006 and finished 11th in the Cy Young in 2010. The intervening three campaigns were hit and miss. This season has been no different, albeit perhaps more hit and less miss when it came to bats. He was so bad at one point that Twins manager Ron Gardenhire tried him in the bullpen, meeting with measured success. This sparked speculation that Liriano might be a big deadline addition, landing somewhere as a lefty specialist. But then the Twins moved Frankie back to the rotation.
This season, Liriano is 3-10 (that doesn’t mean much), with a 5.31 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP (that does). In his final start with the Twins, the lefty once considered Johan Santana’s heir apparent, went 2.2 innings and gave up 7 earned runs.
I have no doubt that in his time with the White Sox, Liriano will turn in a couple really great, dominating performances. I also have no doubt he’ll get shelled a couple of times too. That’s his thing, he’s consistently inconsistent.
This might be fine for a team like, for instance, the Orioles. Baltimore has starting pitching issues arguably more dire than those of the White Sox. Baltimore, like Chicago, has come out of nowhere to play very well this season, but they are a long way from first place in the AL East. The risk involved in Liriano would be totally worth it for them because of the potential reward. If Liriano pitches great for Baltimore, they might win the Wild Card, if he flops, no matter, they were a long way out anyway and took their roll of the dice. The same goes for the Toronto Blue Jays. It doesn’t go for the White Sox.
Chicago is good and they have a legitimate shot at winning this season. If everyone is healthy, they have a quality pitching staff. What they really needed was a someone consistent. Someone who could eat some innings and win some games but didn’t have to dominate or be too flashy. Someone like Ryan Dempster. (Maybe not Dempster, per se, but someone like him). Not someone like Liraino who has an equal likelihood of throwing 8 innings as throwing 2.
Lirano adds more volatility to a team that desperately needs stability. He’s not the answer for the White Sox and he’ll prove to be more trouble than he’s worth, taxing the bullpen and failing to provide that reliable starter every fifth day (and in Game 3 of a postseason series if they get there) that the Sox so desperately need.
-Max Frankel
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