The Tommy John carousel keeps turning, and today's rider is Gavin Floyd of the Chicago White Sox. In addition to the Tommy John surgery to repair his UCL, Floyd will also have surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow. Not only will Floyd be out for the rest of this season, but with a 14 to 19 month expected recovery process, Floyd may also not pitch next season at all.
The timing isn't great for Floyd, as he'll be a free agent after this season. The Sox picked up a $9.5 million option on Floyd after last season after initially paying him $15.5 million over four years on a contract he signed prior to the 2009 season. The rest of that $9.5 million will be a sunk cost for Chicago this year after Floyd only made five starts in 2013, posting a 5.18 ERA in 24 1/3 innings. He hasn't pitched since two Saturdays ago, when he lasted just 2 2/3 innings against the Rays.
The White Sox initially acquired Floyd, the fourth overall pick in the 2001 draft, from the Phillies along with Gio Gonzalez in exchange for Freddy Garcia (who made just 11 starts with Philadelphia). In his seven season career with the White Sox, Floyd has a 63-65 record and a 4.22 ERA.
Chicago has struggled out of the game this year, and are currently in last place in the AL Central with a 12-17 record. Even with minimal contributions from Floyd, their rotation has a 3.83 ERA, which is sixth in the American League and third in the Central. John Danks hasn't thrown an inning yet this season following shoulder surgery last August, and is expected to return to the rotation after two more rehab starts.
Danks essentially taking Floyd's spot in the rotation would be a net win for the White Sox, but with Jake Peavy's back acting up and causing him to miss a start last Thursday, they're still on thin ice, especially if Peavy's back spasms flare up during Wednesday's start against the Mets. A rotation of Peavy, Danks, ace Chris Sale, and unsung heroes Jose Quintana and Dylan Axelrod could definitely keep the Sox in contention while their offense struggles, though seven games with the Angels and three with the Red Sox in May could make gaining ground on the rest of the division a difficult task.
