PEORIA, Ariz. — Johnny Cueto wrote, “Let’s get to work Chicago,” in a tweet that also thanked the San Francisco Giants fans and organization shortly after reports surfaced late Monday that the veteran pitcher had signed a minor league deal with the White Sox.
Sox manager Tony La Russa applauded the signing Tuesday morning.
“He had excellent command of three or four pitches that became like 10 or 12 because he had different angles coming at you,” La Russa said, recalling the times his St. Louis Cardinals teams faced Cueto with the Cincinnati Reds. “It’s an exciting move. We’re looking forward to it.
“He and (Sox pitching coach) Ethan (Katz) had a relationship one year, 2020 with the Giants. Anxious to get him here, get him to (Triple-A) Charlotte. We’ve seen some videos and stuff of his workouts and his throwing, but you have to eyeball him. Very positive move for us.”
The move could give the Sox some much-needed pitching depth after injuries in the past week to starter Lance Lynn and reliever Garrett Crochet.
Lynn might miss the first eight weeks of the season after an MRI revealed a slight tear in a tendon by his right knee, while Crochet is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery this week and will be out for the 2022 season.
Cueto, 36, is 135-97 with a 3.45 ERA in 330 appearances (329 starts) during a 14-year career with the Reds (2008-15), Kansas City Royals (2015) and Giants (2016-21).
The right-hander is a two-time All-Star (2014, 2016), finished second in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2014 and is 2-4 with a 4.54 ERA in eight career postseason starts. He made four starts in the 2015 postseason with the World Series champion Royals.
Cueto went 7-7 with a 4.08 ERA in 22 outings (21 starts) in 2021.
If needed, assistant general manager/player development Chris Getz said there are also pitchers already in the system capable of stepping in.
“(Tanner Banks) has been a versatile pitcher,” Getz said during a video conference Tuesday reviewing the spring camp for minor leaguers. “He’s added some velocity, close to 4 mph. We’ve always liked his slider. But overall command, he’s always had that pitchability component that’s so key for starting pitchers or any pitcher.
“Jimmy Lambert, a guy that has certainly pitched at the major league level in small doses. Is a four-pitch guy and solid, average pitches across. He’s got the makings of a quality major-league starter.
“(Kade McClure), another pitchability guy, we’ve seen his stuff jump a little bit. .... And then Emilio Vargas, another guy that pounds the zone.”
Vince Velasquez and Reynaldo López are among the big league options to fill in while Lynn is out. Velasquez made his final spring training start Monday, allowing two runs on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 2 1/3 innings against the Cubs in Mesa.
“I was excited about what I saw,” La Russa said. “He has four pitches and he was using them all. He’s definitely going in the right direction.”
Velasquez is ready to contribute in any way.
“(Lynn’s injury) definitely was terrible news to hear,” Velasquez said after Monday’s start. “But I’m one of those guys that can go out there and eat innings. I definitely have a lot of confidence from having the support of the coaching staff, the pitching staff, and knowing exactly the areas of where I can actually fit in.
“We have a lot of depth and a lot of power arms on the back end. At the end of the day it’s all about winning and I’m all for it.”
Velasquez and López also could be called on for innings during some of Michael Kopech’s early outings. The right-hander is moving back to the rotation after spending last season in the bullpen, and the Sox will monitor his innings.
Kopech started Tuesday’s Cactus League finale against the San Diego Padres at Peoria Stadium, allowing two runs on two hits with four walks and one strikeout in two innings. He was pulled after the first five batters reached in a two-run second inning but he returned for a scoreless third.
“The bottom line is there are some things to iron out,” Kopech said afterward. “It is just spring, but we’re moving into the season and I hope to take what I learned from this one and move on to the next.”
Third baseman Yoán Moncada was scratched from Tuesday’s game after tweaking his right side during morning drills in Glendale, the team announced. La Russa said Moncada thought he could play, but the team didn’t “want to push it.”
