Report: White Sox bring back Clevinger on 1-year, $3M deal
Mike Clevinger is returning to the South Side, as the free-agent right-hander agreed to a contract with the Chicago White Sox, a source told Robert Murray of FanSided.
The one-year deal will pay Clevinger a base salary of $3 million, with another $3 million available through incentive clauses, according to Murray.
Completion of the deal is pending a physical.
Clevinger played on a one-year deal with the White Sox last season. He posted a team-best 3.77 ERA across 24 starts and tallied his lowest BB/9 rate (2.7) since 2019 despite missing some time with wrist and bicep injuries. However, he recorded just 110 strikeouts in 131.1 innings, while his K/9 rate was under eight for the second straight year.
The 33-year-old became a free agent in November after declining a $12-million mutual option. However, he was among several notable free agents who failed to find a deal over the winter, leaving him without a team until the fifth day of the regular season.
Clevinger will likely need some time to ramp up before he joins the White Sox rotation. The team will likely rely on him to again provide some length and experience at the front of its young staff alongside fellow free-agent additions Erick Fedde and Chris Stratton. The White Sox had a pressing need for one more starter after trading ace Dylan Cease in spring training and moving Michael Kopech to the bullpen.
In parts of seven big-league seasons with three teams, Clevinger's compiled a 60-39 record with a 3.45 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 804 strikeouts, and two shutouts. The Florida native was a member of playoff teams in Cleveland and with the San Diego Padres early in his career before missing all of 2021 while recovering from elbow surgery.
The White Sox fell to 0-4 on the season after being shut out by the Atlanta Braves on Monday.