White Sox News: Mike Clevinger declines player option

The Chicago White Sox jumped the market last off-season when they signed starting pitcher Mike Clevinger to a one-year deal with a mutual option for the 2024 season.

The timing of the deal was strange considering that Clevinger wasn’t at the top of the market and the free agent market for starting pitchers hadn’t been set yet. Despite those facts, the White Sox jumped to sign Clevinger.

Shortly after the White Sox signed Clevinger, it was revealed that he was the subject of a Major League Baseball investigation regarding a potential violation of the league’s domestic violence policy.

The league’s investigation into Clevinger did not result in any discipline but the starting pitcher continued to make a less than warm impression on the city of Chicago after threatening a lawsuit against 670 The Score.

Much like the rest of the White Sox’s 2023 season except for the stellar performance from center fielder Luis Robert Jr, Clevinger’s performance team was mostly ignored.

Clevinger made 24 starts with the White Sox last season while posting an ERA of 3.77. The White Sox quietly tried to move Clevinger at the deadline but no team bit and the team even placed the starting pitcher on irrevocable waivers but the veteran went unclaimed.

Starting pitcher Mike Clevinger will not be back with the Chicago White Sox in 2024 after declining his mutual option.

On Friday, the White Sox announced that Clevinger declined his $12MM mutual option for the 2024 season and has become a free agent.

There is a $4MM buyout clause that the White Sox will be paying Clevinger to sign elsewhere this off-season.

Hopefully, the signing of Clevinger was a lesson learned for the White Sox as the team should probably evaluate their vetting process of potential free agents. Regardless of what Major League Baseball’s investigation found regarding Clevinger, there was evidence already available to the White Sox that should have indicated the questionable fit.