Notes: Cease; closer options; Kelly healthy

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Various reporters peppered Dylan Cease with questions about his ongoing status as the White Sox staff ace or the possibility of the right-hander starting Opening Day on March 30 in Houston.

Just the normal accolades coming for a pitcher who finished second in the 2022 American League Cy Young voting. But the 27-year-old is staying in the Spring Training moment.

“I show up and try to execute as many pitches as I can and just maximize my abilities, and whatever happens, happens,” Cease said. “I’m very much just focused on what I’m doing right now. I’m just focused on locking in and following the steps and not missing any of the little things.”

Cease has grown as a pitcher with each of his four Major League seasons, posting a 2.20 ERA over 32 starts in ‘22 with a career-high 227 strikeouts over a career-high 184 innings. He also had a career-high 78 walks, placing fastball command at the top of his work list along with offseason focus on the changeup.

“As I’m getting older, I’m realizing to get to that next level of a pitcher it has to be with command and not stuff,” Cease said. “I’ve always had the stuff, but now it’s just molding it and using it as well as I can.

“I felt like I had a lot of games where I really didn’t execute that well. I sort of just worked through jams, and it was harder than I really needed it to be if I just threw strikes and got ahead, which everyone is trying to do. It’s easier said than done. I just want to be more consistent at my high end of command and stuff.”

Closing time
Manager Pedro Grifol isn’t inclined to name a closer, or even a frontrunner, with All-Star closer Liam Hendriks receiving treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Hendriks’ fellow members in the bullpen also seem ready for whatever Grifol asks.

“I told Pedro I couldn’t care any less about a stat,” White Sox reliever Kendall Graveman said. “I want to win baseball games. I’m too old and too long in my career to worry about a stat. For me to rack up saves or holds, it doesn’t matter to me. I just want to get this team to the playoffs.”

“You’re not going to be able to replace a two-time Reliever of the Year Award winner, right?” Joe Kelly, a fellow veteran White Sox reliever, added. “But we’re not looking to replace. We’re looking to pull together more as a unit.”

Kelly and Graveman are two of the temporary closing options, joined by Aaron Bummer, Reynaldo López and Garrett Crochet, when he’s cleared to return from Tommy John surgery rehab work.

“We didn’t have our 6-6 tight end lefty Crochet last year,” Kelly said. “I’ve watched Crochet pitch many times this offseason and I don’t think he’s going to be too far behind from Opening Day.”

“I'm going to put the best pitchers on the mound that we feel are the best in that particular situation,” Grifol said. “If somebody emerges into a closer, we'll do that.”

Kelly feels healthy
Kelly threw his first regular-season pitch on May 9 of last season, starting the year on the injured list due to a nerve issue related to a right biceps strain. He has been in Arizona during this past offseason and feels fully healthy.

“It’s been game-changing. I haven’t been healthy for three seasons starting the year,” Kelly said. “To have the normal offseason so far, I feel more thrilled than anything, because I’ve been throwing 'pens and the numbers I’m putting up in my 'pens from all the analytics stuff are kind of the same things I’d get at the beginning of a season.

“I came here four to five days a week the whole offseason, throwing bullpens in the lab. Just trying to create from here on out game-like scenarios for myself. It’s been a while since I’ve pitched in a real Spring Training game, so it’s going to be fun. I’m definitely pumped.”