When you’ve lost 71 games before the trade deadline, it’s time to be open for business. With the worst record in baseball, the Chicago White Sox are expected to be major sellers this month. Their two most valuable assets, Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert, are likely to command substantial returns if traded. Michael Kopech, however, might not attract the same interest.
It’s not due to a lack of talent. The former first-round pick climbed steadily through the Red Sox and then the White Sox systems, reaching the No. 11 spot on Baseball America’s prospect list before the 2018 season. He made his MLB debut for Chicago that year, allowing just one run in his first three starts while showcasing a fastball that earned a perfect 80 grade in his initial scouting report.
In his fourth start, however, Kopech tore his UCL, ending his season and requiring Tommy John surgery. The recovery was lengthy, causing him to miss the entire 2019 season and opt out of the 2020 COVID-shortened campaign. Upon his return, Kopech performed well — primarily in relief — during an injury-shortened 2021 before joining the White Sox rotation the next season. He seemed poised to secure this role for years, posting a 3.54 ERA in 25 starts in 2022.
However, Kopech was at the center of a highly disappointing 2023 campaign for the White Sox. He went 5-12 with a 5.43 ERA and a 6.46 FIP, walking more batters than any other AL pitcher. This performance cost him his spot in the rotation but led to an intriguing shift. Coming into this season, the White Sox assigned Kopech to closer duties, hoping his elite velocity would be more effective in late-inning situations.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out. Kopech has converted just 9 of 14 save opportunities, with a 5.05 ERA. Opponents are making solid contact against him at a 12.4-percent rate, placing him in the second percentile in the league, and they are drawing walks against him in 12.7 percent of plate appearances, ranking him in the seventh percentile. Kopech’s slider, which he threw 27.2 percent of the time last year, has been used less than 10 percent this season, with opponents batting .280 against the pitch.