The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
McClure itching to pitch in 2021
Like countless other minorleague ballplayers, 2020 was a lost season for Kade McClure.
The White Sox pitching prospect saw his season come to an end when Major League Baseball — followed shortly by the minorleague system — shut down last spring during the outset of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The MLB season eventually returned and finished a 60-game regular season and the playoffs, but McClure and the rest of minor-leaguers not added to team’s MLB taxi squads did not.
The good news for the Mentor graduate is he spent much of October in Arizona at Chicago’s Instructional League competing against the Dodgers and Padres. He threw 13 innings and showed plenty of zip on his fastball, which he said clocked in between 92 and 95 mph.
That’s a good sign for McClure, who’s itching to pitch in 2021. For what organization he’s taking the mound should be clearer this week. Dec. 10, MLB’s winter meetings conclude with its Rule 5 Draft. It’s a draft that annually goes under the radar for baseball fans. It allows teams to pluck away excess talent from other organizations.
The Rule 5 Draft is for players who meet certain criteria and have not been granted a spot on a 40man roster. Players are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft on two criteria:
• Players who signed at 18 or younger and have played at least five professional seasons.
• Players who signed at 19 or older and have played at least four professional seasons.
Mc C lu re , 24 a nd drafted out of the University of Louisville, qualifies in the latter, even though his and countless others’ 2020 minor-league season was wiped out because of COVID-19.
McClure was a seventhround pick of the White Sox in 2017. Knee surgery in 2018 derailed his rise through the minors a bit, but in each of his stops McClure has been effective. Now the question is if there’s another team willing to select McClure in the Rule 5.
“All I know is that I’m eligible,” said McClure, when asked about his knowledge of the Rule 5 draft. “The White Sox have treated me well, and I don’t want to leave the team. But I’ve had conversations with them, and my lifelong goal isn’t to pitch in Double-A or Triple-A.”
According to Baseball America, there are two tiers to the Rule 5 draft.
For the MLB portion, a team selecting a player must pay $100,000 to that
player’s old team and then keep that player on the 25man roster for the duration of the season.
For the MiLB portion, a player must be left off the 40-player MLB roster and the 38-player Triple-A roster but there are no roster restrictions. An MiLB Rule 5 pick costs $24,000, and the player is then part of the organization.
McClure is definitely an intriguing prospect for teams. At 6-foot-7 with a fastball velocity that continues to rise, the righthander is well past the knee surgery that stalled his development. Add in the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season, and it’s understandable why McClure has yet to play above the High Single-A level.
That’s very likely to change in 2021, no matter the team. Nothing is guaranteed, but it’s reasonable to think McClure starts the season in Double-A and depending on how he performs gets a shot in Triple-A. If he’s picked in the Rule 5, things could be accelerated. Either way, McClure just wants to pitch again in 2021.
“I’ve worked on some mechanical changes, and we’re seeing some growth,” said McClure, who’s planning to get married in October and is currently living in the Pittsburgh area with his fiance. “The biggest thing is my (velocity), which I’m very happy about.”
Some of the most notable Rule 5 picks include two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana and 2010 American Leauge MVP Josh Hamilton. Former Indians pitcher Hector Rondon was also a Rule 5 Draft pick by the Cubs in 2012 and two years later was the team’s closer.
In three seasons i n the White Sox organization, McClure owns an 8-7 record with a 3.05 ERA in 40 games, including 30 starts. In 174 1/3 innings pitched, he’s struck out 160 with a WHIP of 1.22.