Mike Clevinger’s Tenure Comes to an End as the Sox Look Forward
One of the more controversial signings this past offseason looks to be on his way out of the South Side.
Other players currently on waivers, per sources: Yankees OF Harrison Bader, Mets RHP Carlos Carrasco, White Sox RHP Mike Clevinger, Tigers RP José Cisnero. Claims awarded in reverse order of winning percentage as of Thursday. Teams on fringes of wild-card race likely to be most… https://t.co/1kKgeo48NZ
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 29, 2023
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Chicago White Sox have reportedly placed RHP Mike Clevinger on waivers Tuesday, ending his brief tenure with the team as the season approaches its final month. The news is just the latest in an endless line of reports pertaining to the future of the franchise. It also comes with potential playoff implications for teams currently in the hunt for a Wild Card spot in both leagues.
Signed to a one-year/$8,000,000 deal back in December, Mike Clevinger has been effective when healthy, posting a 3.32 ERA in 18 starts this season. That includes his last start for the White Sox on Sunday, when he fired seven innings of one-run ball against the Oakland Athletics, picking up ten strikeouts. Since returning from the injured list on July 29, Mike Clevinger has a 2.31 ERA with an .192 BAA in six starts.
His time with the team was not without controversy however. Shortly after his signing, Clevinger was accused of domestic abuse by the mother of one of his children, though he was not formally disciplined by Major League Baseball after they conducted an investigation. Clevinger also threatened legal action towards 670TheScore after his accuser gave an interview on the station, and was questioned about his choice of walk-up music.
Per MLB’s Waiver Rules, a player placed on outright waivers is immediately taken off a club’s 40-man roster. Each of the other 29 teams have the opportunity to claim a player who was waived, with priority given to teams with worse records in the season standings. Should a team claim a player on waivers, they’ll be on the hook for the remainder of that player’s salary.
Teams waiving players at this point of the season are looking to dump salaries. This might be the case with Clevinger, who has a mutual option worth $12,000,000 for 2024, suggesting the White Sox could be leaning towards another rebuild. Prospective playoff teams, such as the Chicago Cubs, might be looking to add depth to their current roster by claiming players off waivers, who’ll remain postseason eligible if claimed by Thursday night.
For More Great Chicago Sports Content
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
