Anybody in sports management has to make a lot of decisions that may or may not pan out. GM Chris Getz made some last offseason that went well, and some at the trade deadline that have proven dismal. Manager Will Venable has to make decisions in-game that may or may not work that particular day, like the lineup, pitching changes and substitutions, not to mention all his off-field management of the team.
But even in a year that has wildly exceeded expectations even if they go 0-for-the-rest-of-the-season,
the White Sox have one decision coming up that could ruin all the goodwill amassed so far, or make them heroes nigh on forever — or at least until next season, whenever that may be.
That decision is what to do about Sean Burke.
There’s no question the ace of the staff is struggling. He was just absolutely pounded by the Pirates, but he’s had a hard time of it for a month. Even in the only start with a good finishing line, allowing no runs to Houston, it took him 104 pitches to get through 5 2/3 innings.
Something has to be done. But what?
Well, that’s why Getz and Venable get paid the big bucks.
Burke is obviously out of gas. Not all pitchers indicate so by a drop in velocity — some, like Burke, lose command and/or sharpness instead. He’s already 22 innings beyond his total for 2025, and Steve Stone says you can increase a pitcher’s workload from year to year but usually not by much. Stone also points out that it’s not just how many innings or pitches you throw, but the pressure under which you’re working — and the pressure of performing as the ace of a team with a narrow division lead is a whole lot different than just being another guy on a team heading to 100 losses.
Midseason, you could afford to rest him. But with just 18 games to go — three more turns through the rotation for him — and just a two-game lead on Cleveland for the AL Central title and 1 1/2 games on the Astros for the No. 2 playoff seed — how do you do that?
There are two directions to go.
You can realize that without a long rest Burke will be useless in the playoffs, potentially leaving the Sox with no starting pitcher they can really rely on in the postseason, and so find him a handy blister like the one that put Davis Martin on the 15-day IL and bring him back for one appearance to warm up before the playoffs. But that could very well mean not making the playoffs — so the point would be lost.
Or, you can decide that without Burke for the rest of the regular season you’re apt to fade out of playoff status, and keep him in the rotation and hope for the best. Even if he is totally tanked, if you somehow get to the postseason anyway, you can still claim, “We made the playoffs, we made the playoffs!” no matter what happens at that point.
With a loaded staff, the decision to rest Burke would be easy. But while the bullpen rates first place in Baseball-Reference’s Wins Above Average by Position (and is itself starting to look very tired), the starters are on the fade. After his restful IL stint, Martin came back with a strong game in Houston — but that’s one game, which may or may not be indicative of how he’ll be the rest of the season (this is written before he faced the Pirates). Anthony Kay is showing a lot of wear and tear, getting through three innings or so looking like Sandy Koufax, but then getting shelled in the fourth or fifth every time. Luis Castillo, the alleged innings-eater, has proven to be an over-the-hill huge mistake. José Urquidy has been awful except for one game, and is apparently now hurt.
That leaves Erick Fedde as the ace if Burke is out. Fedde has been OK since being reinstated from the bullpen in mid-August (maybe a nice rest there helped), with six runs in 21 2/3 innings in five starts or pseudo-starts. But do you really want to depend on Fedde in a big game?
Of course, rest Burke and you need to either really stretch out Hagen Smith before he’s ready, tax your already-tired relievers with regular bullpen games, or bring up someone from Charlotte. Several of the minor leaguers have thrown well … in the minors, that is. In brief stints with the Sox, not so much.
The choices don’t appear attractive. But decisions have to be made.
What say, Will and Chris?
And, for that matter, handed control of the team, what would say you?
