Minnesota Twins: Are the White Sox a credible threat to the Twins?

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 10: Eloy Jimenez #74 of the Chicago White Sox (L) celebrates with Tim Anderson #7 after hitting a grand slam home run in the 1st inning against the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 10, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 10: Eloy Jimenez #74 of the Chicago White Sox (L) celebrates with Tim Anderson #7 after hitting a grand slam home run in the 1st inning against the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 10, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 25: Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Atlanta Braves reacts during the second inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 25, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Teams are wearing special color-schemed uniforms with players choosing nicknames to display for Players’ Weekend. The Braves won 2-1. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 25: Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Atlanta Braves reacts during the second inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 25, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Teams are wearing special color-schemed uniforms with players choosing nicknames to display for Players’ Weekend. The Braves won 2-1. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

How the White Sox have upgraded their rotation

While the lineup was in need of fixing, so was the White Sox rotation that had Giolito and not much else. Again, while the Twins provided plenty of lip service, Chicago provided action adding a pair of veteran arms to their starting rotation.

The biggest name that was added beside Giolito was Dallas Keuchel. The Twins have had their opportunities to add the left-hander to their own rotation multiple times, but never have really shown the level of interest that the White Sox did in signing him to a three-year deal worth $55 million.

On a smaller level, the White Sox also added Gio Gonzalez, who isn’t the upper rotation arm that he was during his days with the Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals, but is a veteran that can hold down the back end of the rotation without much drama.

While neither of these is the earth-shattering moves that Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg were, they were fine additions to a staff that has several promising arms including Michael Kopech and Carlos Rondon, who are both recovering from Tommy John surgery. With Kopech likely to return this season, it adds an interesting wrinkle to a rotation that could be better than most expect.

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