White Sox calling up pitcher Drew Thorpe, key prospect in Dylan Cease and Juan Soto trades

June 9, 2024
4 mins read
White Sox calling up pitcher Drew Thorpe, key prospect in Dylan Cease and Juan Soto trades



The Chicago White Sox are calling up right-hander Drew Thorpe, one of their top pitchers, to make his major league debut on Tuesday, manager Pedro Grifol told reporters on Sunday.via NBC Chicago). The White Sox acquired Thorpe from the San Diego Padres in commerce Dylan Cease after the Padres acquired him from the New York Yankees in commerce Juan Soto.

Thorpe, 23, was New York’s second-round pick in the 2022 draft and led the minors with 182 strikeouts in 2023. This season, he pitched to a 1.35 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 11 starts and 60 innings with the Double-A Birmingham Barons. He’s been especially good lately — two runs and 11 hits allowed in his last four starts — and the White Sox are overlooking Thorpe over Triple-A.

Rarely is a prospect traded twice before making his MLB debut, let alone twice in one offseason. In Thorpe’s case, he was traded as a headliner in impact plays. He was coveted. Soto is simply one of the best players in baseball and Cease was runner-up for the AL Cy Young in 2022. Cease and Soto performed very well for their new teams.

Our RJ Anderson didn’t rank Thorpe among the game’s top 50 players entering the season. MLB Pipeline ranks Thorpe as the No. 54 prospect in baseball and the No. 13 pitching prospect. Here is an excerpt from their article:

Thorpe’s 91-95 mph fastball didn’t make much of an impression in college or professional football and would be a barely subpar pitch if he didn’t perceive it so well. His high strikeout numbers are driven by a stellar changeup, a low-80s offering that he sells exceptionally well before slamming on the brakes and disappearing just short of the batter’s bat. He can make hitters chase the change in pitchers’ counts, but they can easily be fooled into the zone. Thorpe’s 82-85 mph slider has good depth, giving him above-average braking option.

Ideally, there would be a tick or two or so of velocity here, but Thorpe’s pitching ability makes him at least a back-end starter in the big leagues. Recruited by Cal Poly as a two-way player, he has the athleticism and strength to repeat his simple throw, attack the strike zone and eat up tackles. His ability to sequence and command his pitches makes him more effective, and he immediately became the most advanced pitcher in Chicago’s system.

The White Sox essentially have three starters: Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde and Chris Flexen. Mike Clevinger is out with an elbow issue and Mike Soroka has worked his way into the bullpen. Others like Jonathan Cannon, Brad Keller and Nick Nastrini started and mostly pitched poorly. If Thorpe pitches well, the White Sox intend to keep him in the big leagues.

Chicago enters play on Sunday with an MLB-worst record of 17-48. That’s the franchise’s worst record through 65 games, four games worse than the 1934 team’s 21-44 start. The White Sox have been around since 1901.

Thorpe will make his MLB debut at T-Mobile Park in Seattle against the Mariners on Tuesday.





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