Starting pitcher Mike Clevinger officially signs with the Chicago White Sox: ‘It was the place I wanted to be’

SAN DIEGO — Mike Clevinger looks forward to having a discussion with Chicago White Sox head groundskeeper Roger Bossard.

“That was one of my favorite mounds in all the big leagues,” Clevinger said during a video conference call Sunday, referring to Guaranteed Rate Field. “So I’m excited to get back to it.”

The Sox officially added the right-hander to the rotation Sunday, announcing a one-year, $12 million contract. Clevinger will receive $8 million in 2023 with a mutual $12 million option for 2024 that includes a $4 million buyout.

“The roster is fully set up for doing special things and having a long season,” Clevinger said when asked why he joined the Sox.

He also pointed to the mound. Clevinger has a 3.13 ERA in four career starts at Guaranteed Rate Field.

“I can’t wait to talk to the grounds crew over there,” Clevinger said. “It’s just perfect. Whether it’s the height, the way the slope goes down.

“It was something that stuck with me that, on that mound, what was going on, what we were working on, it all came to fruition right then and there.”

Clevinger returns to the American League Central, where he spent four-plus seasons with Cleveland from 2016-20. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in August 2020, missed all of 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery and went 7-7 with a 4.33 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 2022.

Clevinger said he showed himself “resilience” in ‘22.

“I felt like I was battling, had an uphill battle the whole time,” he said. “And it would have been easy to take some time off and kind of regroup, let my body heal.

“It wasn’t about me at the time. It was about seeing what I could do to help the Padres stay in contention and see how far we can go in the postseason.”

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Clevinger, 31, replaces free agent Johnny Cueto in a rotation that includes Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn and Michael Kopech. He will wear No. 52. Reports of the deal surfaced Nov. 27.

He mentioned a familiarity with pitching coach Ethan Katz, with some of his new teammates and with the AL Central as part of his decision.

Clevinger is 51-30 with a 3.39 ERA and 694 strikeouts in 128 career outings (114 starts) with Cleveland and the Padres. He won 13 games in both 2018 and ‘19. He had 207 strikeouts and a 3.02 ERA in 2018 and a 2.71 ERA in 2019.

Clevinger had a combined 3.02 ERA in eight starts (four for both teams) in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He also was disciplined by Cleveland and later apologized after breaking COVID-19 protocols with teammate Zach Plesac during a trip to Chicago.

Clevinger was sent to the Padres in a big trade that saw Josh Naylor and Cal Quantrill, among others, head to Cleveland. He underwent Tommy John surgery in November 2020 — his second after a 2012 procedure while in the minor leagues.

He returned to make 23 appearances (22 starts) in the 2022 regular season.

“I’m excited to get a full healthy season under my belt and go post to post,” Clevinger said. “The (velocity) was there through half the year and then I was dealing with a lot of different things bodywise, just getting back to trying to make a start every five days. It’s the normal trials and tribulations coming back from a serious injury and especially a second serious injury. I don’t expect to have those same hiccups next year.”

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He started two playoff games, allowing five runs (four earned) in 2⅔ innings and taking the loss in Game 1 of an National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and giving up three runs on three hits without recording an out in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

“It’s no secret to anybody, I kind of hurt my stock with last year,” Clevinger said. “I kind of left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth with those playoff appearances. But I don’t think everyone is seeing what’s going on behind closed doors.

“I’m not here to have a pity party, but that’s OK. I didn’t want to wait (to sign). The Chicago White Sox came and they were very interested.”

Now he officially has a new home as the winter meetings get underway.

“(The Sox have) always been a fan of mine and they’ve seen me over the years pitch against them,” Clevinger said. “They expressed interest in what they saw in me, and it wasn’t really a matter of so much the monetary aspect as it was the place I wanted to be, the roster I wanted to set myself up with in picking my destination versus waiting until it got down to the end and see if these other teams had me in their pecking order at the time.

“I know the White Sox want me. I know that’s a roster I want to be a part of. There are personalities on the team that I feel like mold with mine and I just knew this would be a good symbiotic relationship.”