Chicago White Sox Need To Cut Ties With Mike Clevinger Regardless Of MLB Findings – Chicago Tribune

You don’t have to wait for MLB’s investigation to be completed.

The newly signed White Sox pitcher, who is under investigation following allegations of domestic violence and child abuse by the mother of his 10-month-old daughter, called him a “loving and caring person.” He denied the disturbing accusations on Tuesday through his attorney Jay Reisinger. father. “

It is up to MLB to decide whether to suspend Clevinger and, if so, for how long. After that, it will be the White Sox to do the right thing.

The only real option is to cut ties with Clevinger and take an ‘L’. Go ahead and try to forget about any signatures that have ever happened.

In the same way former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer didn’t get a chance to return to Los Angeles after being suspended for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy, Clevinger is set to recover from this, at least in Chicago. You can not.

The sooner the Sox realize this, the better it will be for the team, the fans and the city.

Clevinger’s story is sure to become a distraction in spring training whether management or players are allowed to talk about it. How the Socks deal with the rotation hole will follow a storyline that spans the entire six weeks.

This season has been a watershed season for the Sox, and Clevinger simply can’t be a member of that clubhouse if he hopes to win back the trust of the fans that still rock the unfinished business of 2022. Pedro’s new manager With most of the same cast as Griffiol, the urgency to erase last season’s drama has never been greater.

General manager Rick Hahn addressed fans’ concerns near the end of 2022, saying he, chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, and executive vice president Ken Williams had “the most disappointing season of their respective careers.” He said he agreed with one thing.

“Look, this will work,” Hahn said. “This is going to affect people. This is not a feeling that any of us would like to experience again.”

While the Sox made few big moves in the offseason, Clevinger was the first free agent addition to the roster, thus becoming one of their key additions. Being an albatross and starting a new season by sticking with him is begging for repetition.

How much scrutiny the Sox put into Clevinger is another issue the organization needs to look into, but probably not. You may not have known the allegations, but Socks clearly liked his personality and believed he would be a good fit for the clubhouse.

Can they still think of it now?

Many on Twitter raised the fact that the Sox signed manager Tony La Russa in the fall of 2020, but knew about his second DUI arrest. , wanted La Russa to manage his team, no matter what anyone else thought. rice field.

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“I let them know the situation before I went to work,” La Russa said in February 2021. The fact that I continue to be a manager is the gratitude I feel. But once upon a time there was publicity. Without anyone knowing, I had already beaten myself up about my mistake.

“It was torture when it became public, especially when I realized that it had a potential negative impact on my fans, my family and friends as soon as I got the job. And I don’t enjoy torture.” I try to live without regrets, we make mistakes.

“But I live by admitting it, too. So if they knew and wanted to keep me, I didn’t have the first thought that I should back down.” rice field.

La Russa didn’t get the benefit of the doubt from a legion of vociferous Sox fans. Neither will Clevinger if he is allowed to pitch in 2023. However, unlike La Russa, Leinsdorf has no personal relationship with Clevinger, so he has to pretend that fans will eventually like Clevinger. There is no

Hahn made a mistake. I think he’s beating himself up on it, but of course he can’t talk about it, so who knows?

Still, that doesn’t mean he has to live with it. After all, it’s all about money. The Dodgers did the right thing by severing ties with Bauer, who is unlikely to find a new team despite being one of the most talented pitchers in the game.

Sox can do without Clevinger. The trio of Dylan Sees, Lance Lynn and Michael Kopech are solid, Lucas Jolit can weather a sluggish season and should be motivated by free agency in November.

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Davis Martin may move up to fifth, or Reinaldo Lopez may stretch out in spring training and return to the rotation.

It’s not perfect, but socks have options. And American League Central is still winning despite the youthful energy of the Cleveland Guardians and the aggressive offseason of the Minnesota Twins. But if the Sox want to fight, they can’t afford unnecessary distractions, especially in the early days when Grifol makes his mark on the team.

Now let’s go through the process. Let MLB do a thorough investigation.

And when Clevinger is allowed to pitch again, make sure it’s not on the South Side.