Gavin Floyd to Undergo Tommy John

On Monday, Gavin Floyd’s 2013 season came to a disappointing end. After being injured following a pitch on April 27th, Floyd has received three opinions on his right elbow. The reports have indicated a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament along with a torn flexor muscle in his right arm. Floyd will undergo Tommy John Surgery and have his flexor muscle repaired. He is expected to be out for 14 to 19 months, thus ending his season and likely his White Sox career.

For Floyd, the timing of the injury couldn’t be any worse. Floyd is set to become a free-agent following the 2013 season, and he was hoping to earn a multi-year deal this winter. Now that his 2013 season is over, and most of his 2014 season is in jeopardy, Floyd will no longer be a hot commodity this offseason. At age 30, Floyd’s career is not over, but he may have lost his last chance to sign a three or four-year deal. Assuming Floyd recovers in 14 to 19 months, he will likely sign an incentive-laden one-year contract when he is ready to pitch. If all goes well, Floyd may be able to return around the all-star break in 2014, but realistically he won’t be able to make an impact until 2015.

For the White Sox, losing a reliable starting pitcher like Floyd is never good, but they may have the depth to withstand the blow for this season and in the future. Assuming John Danks can return in a couple weeks, the White Sox will have what they believe are six major-league starters. Chris Sale, Jake Peavy, John Danks, and Jose Quintana would seem to have the first four spots locked down. When Danks returns, manager Robin Ventura may have a decision to make between Dylan Axelrod and Hector Santiago for the fifth starters’ spot, but that is a good problem to have. Either way, the Sox should have five starters that they feel confident sending out there every day. Since Floyd was set to be a free-agent after this season, the Sox were unlikely to re-sign him with Sale, Peavy, and Danks all under high-priced contracts. In addition, Axelrod and Santiago appear capable of starting, so spending money on a free-agent pitcher would not be wise. With that being said, it is still a shame that Floyd’s season and potentially career with the White Sox is over. Hopefully, the Sox will be able to overcome the loss, and Floyd will find his way back into a major-league starting rotation in 2015.

-Eric Tichelbaut

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