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The Chicago White Sox have agreed to a deal with free-agent starting pitcher Mike Clevinger, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Clevinger was up and down in his return to the mound in 2022 after missing all of 2021 because of Tommy John surgery.
The right-hander finished the season with a 4.33 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 114.1 innings, tallying a 7-7 record for the San Diego Padres. He allowed seven earned runs in two postseason starts, totaling just 2.2 innings.
San Diego first acquired Clevinger in a July 2020 trade with Cleveland that included nine players. He performed well in his new location, producing a 2.84 ERA in four starts, but he was limited by an elbow injury.
After pitching just one inning in the postseason that year, Clevinger was shut down and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. He also had the procedure in 2012 while in the minors with the Los Angeles Angels system.
The 31-year-old has been a frontline starter in the past, posting a 2.96 ERA across 88 appearances from 2017-20, adding a 1.153 WHIP with 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
He appeared in seven postseason games with Cleveland, including three in the World Series in 2016.
The experience and past production could make Clevinger a high-upside addition in free agency if he can stay healthy and return to his previous form.
Chicago went 81-81 last season, but the talented roster could be dangerous with another top starter alongside Dylan Cease.
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