Levine: Is Jeff Samardzija Making Final White Sox Start Thursday?
By Bruce Levine--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The baseball world of White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija has been a whirlwind over the last 12 months, and he has become hardened in the ways of the trade deadline blues. Come Thursday in Cleveland, Samardzija could now be making his last start as a member of the 2015 White Sox.
After he's moved from the Cubs to the Athletics and then the White Sox in six months, the reality for Samardzija is that another team on his resume may only be days away. Samardzija understands this with his free agency looming in November.
"Look, that is something that always happens," manager Robin Ventura said Tuesday about the inevitable moves leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. "All the guys know it's there, it depends on what side of it you're on."
The White Sox have been one of the most scouted teams in baseball due to their season-long underachieving ways.
"For us, you know the deadline is there," Ventura added. "You just must continue to play. Our guys have to be focused on (today's game). You can't look at 10 days from now."
With USA Today's Bob Nightingale reporting Monday that the Detroit Tigers are in selling mode, the tenor of talks for starting pitching changes. The Samardzija market will likely lag behind that of the Reds' Johnny Cueto and most certainly Tigers lefty David Price, assuming he's made available. All three mentioned are free agents-to-be after the season. Oakland's Scott Kazmir is also a part of that equation.
Phillies ace Cole Hamels is owed at least $84 million on his deal through 2018. Multiple teams are interested in Hamels, but the money and player cache that must be exchanged will be quite different due to long-term contract control.
Samardzija hasn't had the same type of season he had in 2014. His strikeout totals have been down, but the quality of his performance has improved since June. A change of philosophy with the use of the split-fingered pitch and slider, replacing the cut fastball, has created a different look. Changing the hitters' eye level has induced more groundball outs for him.
Samardzija is 6-5 with a 4.08 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. He has a 1.90 ERA in July.
"You don't always notice when it (trading deadline impact), other times you do," Ventura said. "Some guys suppress things like that, others just don't care and continue to play. You know it's there, and it's just a part of the business. You continue to control today and not worry about ten days from now."
That's sometimes easier said than done for players who are mainly concerned about uprooting their families in the late stages of a season. Moving across the country without any chance to be there to help back home is always painful for the traded player.
"They know the situation is there," Ventura said. "There is no sense to worrying about something that is out of your hands."
After being traded twice, a third time may have no charm for Samardzija. He will keep his bags packed for now.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
