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The White Sox are going to be in the market for pitching help this summer. If that wasn\u2019t obvious by Jeff Passan linking them to virtually every available pitcher<\/a> except Tarik Skubal, let the stats speak for themselves. The White Sox pitching staff ranks 20th in baseball with a 4.43 team ERA, which seems to be the only thing holding back a team whose offense ranks 8th with a .736 OPS entering Saturday. Pitching on the road, in particular, has been a problem for the White Sox, who hold a 5.48 ERA on the road vs. a 3.41 mark at home. In a trade deadline preview this week, MLB.com\u2019s Mark Feinsand linked the White Sox<\/a> to a veteran right-hander from a division rival, and the fit makes plenty of sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 34-year-old righty Michael Wacha was a first-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals back in 2012. He spent the first seven years of his career with St. Louis before bouncing around the league and eventually finding a home in Kansas City. Wacha has been the model of consistency in recent years, posting an ERA under four in every season since 2022, and he\u2019s surpassed 120 innings in every full season since 2015, with the exception of 2018. With Kansas City more than ten games under .500 as we approach the season\u2019s halfway point, the Royals could look to move on from the veteran right-hander and cash in on his affordable and controllable deal.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 15 starts this season, Wacha holds a 3.64 ERA and leads the American League with 94 innings pitched. He maintains a solid ground ball rate and limits hard contact effectively using primarily a fastball-changeup combo. Though Wacha doesn\u2019t have any standout pitches, he mixes speeds and locations effectively and provides reliable innings, something the White Sox young pitching staff could use.\u00a0Wacha also has a history with White Sox pitching coach Zach Bove, who spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons in Kansas City. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Michael Wacha, Unhittable 87mph Changeup. \ud83d\ude33 pic.twitter.com\/sutRYs1CaT<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 7, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n With Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and Anthony Kay, the White Sox have a solid rotation trio, but the back end still has questions. Noah Schultz could return from injury in the next couple weeks, and veteran Erick Fedde has been inconsistent. Shane Smith, Tanner McDougal<\/a>, and Hagen Smith<\/a> have all dealt with injuries, and the White Sox could use another reliable veteran to give the ball to every five days. Wacha is under contract for 2027 for $14 million, a reasonable price given the market for starters these days, and he also has a $14 million club option for 2028, potentially giving the White Sox two and a half years of control.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
Michael Wacha could add reliable innings to an inconsistent White Sox staff<\/h2>\n