The White Sox are in a spot where every decision gets magnified, and the biggest one right now is whether they’re willing to give Drew Thorpe a look. They enter today with a two-game cushion over the Guardians in the AL Central, and with fewer than 20 games left, there isn’t much room for hesitation. The rotation has been the weak link all year, and at this stage the Sox can’t afford to keep running out a group full of uncertainty.
That’s the heart of the issue: the current starting staff is built on more questions than answers. Sean Burke has been the best of the bunch for most of the season, but he’s already beyond his career high in innings and the grind is showing.
Davis Martin is in a similar spot, also approaching a career high while dealing with inconsistency. Anthony Kay has trended downward lately, Luis Castillo has posted an ERA over 7 since arriving at the trade deadline, and Erick Fedde has filled in as a swingman with an iffy track record.
When the rotation looks that shaky, every other option deserves a hard look.
Thorpe fits that description. He was the centerpiece of the Dylan Cease trade in 2024, and the 25-year-old right-hander likely would have been in the big league rotation already if not for the injuries that slowed him down.
His 2024 season ended with two rough outings that left a bad impression, and then came Tommy John surgery in March of 2025, which wiped out his entire season. That was a major setback for both him and the organization.
Now he’s healthy again, and the results at Triple-A Charlotte are starting to look like the White Sox’ original vision. Since his first rehab outing on July 18th in the Arizona Complex League, Thorpe has made five starts for the Knights and hasn’t given up more than two runs in any of them.
Over that stretch, he has a 2.55 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, and 8.0 K/9 across 24.2 innings, while issuing just four walks. That kind of strike-throwing matters.
It suggests the command is where it needs to be.
This also isn’t a case of forcing a prospect before he’s ready. Thorpe already has MLB experience, and he’ll be 26 in less than a month.
He’s not some far-off project. He’s made nine minor league starts since coming back, totaling 36.2 innings, which is enough time to shake off the rust and settle in.
The numbers say he’s done what he needed to do against minor league hitters.
Of course, none of this guarantees he would walk into the White Sox rotation and solve everything. There are real concerns about whether he can hold up as a starter at the highest level, especially with his low fastball velocity.
During his rehab work, Thorpe has sat around 91-92 MPH with his four-seam fastball, a number that would land near the bottom among MLB peers. For him to stick, his command and secondary pitches have to carry the load.
Even so, it’s tough to look at the current rotation and not wonder what the downside is. Thorpe may not have to be dominant.
He just has to be better than what the White Sox are getting now, and that bar is not especially high. With the division potentially coming down to a game or two, he might not need much time to show whether he belongs.
If the Sox keep waiting, they may never find out.
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