“Obviously, true closers are very expensive.”
White Sox pitching director Brian Bannister illustrated the difficulty of finding a lock-down ninth-inning man in just six words.
During the team’s last ramp-up to contention, they spent big bucks on a closer, inking Liam Hendriks to a free-agent deal. He was excellent in a Sox uniform, showing the investment can be a good one, and pitched the ninth for a division-winner in 2021.
But will the next contending Sox club need to go outside the organization for its closer? Or is one already developing at the major league level?
Grant Taylor, the righty the Sox chose with their second-round draft pick in 2023, looked stellar in the ninth inning of Friday’s win over the Padres, pitching a 1-2-3 frame to lock down his fifth save.
Health-related hiccups and manager Will Venable’s tendency to mix and match means Taylor hasn’t exactly emerged as the Sox’ go-to closer as a rookie. In fact, whether he’ll return to starting or remain a reliever isn’t even settled yet, something team brass will mull this offseason.
But as for whether Taylor has what it takes to be a big-time major league closer?
The Sox seem convinced of the answer to that question, seeing in the 23-year-old the unquantifiable intangibles often associated with succeeding in the game’s highest-pressure pitching job.
“I think he [has those characteristics],” Venable said Saturday. “He’s proven that he does, just his mentality and the way he works gives him a lot of confidence. Obviously, he’s got great stuff. That gives you confidence also.
“But yeah, he’s got that mentality that his job is to go out there and get outs and put guys away, and he does a great job of it.”
Taylor started during his brief time in the minor leagues, and he could find his way back to the rotation. Pitchers capable of either job often prefer starting, no surprise given the big-money deals showered upon the game’s top starting pitchers.
But as mentioned, there are paydays awaiting elite ninth-inning guys, too.
When it comes to Taylor’s more immediate future – he’s far from the dollar signs of big league free agency – the Sox have a decision to make. Taylor has impressed plenty, at times, during his rookie stint as a relief arm, though his numbers don’t look so pretty; a 5.35 ERA doesn’t scream “elite” anything.
That’s not dampening the Sox’ enthusiasm.
“I think he can pitch in multiple roles,” Bannister said, “and it’s really just seeing what he wants to do most and where he’s going to have the biggest impact. I’m still open to him pitching in any role.”
After a week away from the mound while dealing with a minor groin issue, Taylor returned with scoreless appearances Wednesday and Friday, striking out five of the seven batters he faced. Whether that convinces the Sox he’s better off in the bullpen remains to be seen.
“He’s obviously come up here and really helped our bullpen,” general manager Chris Getz said Wednesday. “We’ll continue to have that conversation … with Grant and the group and the front office and figure out what’s best for him and our club.
“Getting him healthy and back on the mound is the most important thing as we get to the finish line here. Then we’ll figure out his offseason and his 2026.”
Just like the last rebuild plugged in Hendriks, there will need to be someone – Taylor, or maybe righty Jordan Leasure, who was also brought up as part of this conversation – to turn ninth-inning leads into wins as the rebuilding Sox work toward contention.
“We will look at all options for next year,” Bannister said. “It’s definitely a big topic behind the scenes, as far as who can fill that role, … someone who has that mentality that isn’t afraid of the eighth and ninth and can really come in at the highest leverage points of the game and succeed as this team continues to mature and trend upwards.”