The White Sox understand that as they eye a playoff berth while believing their bullpen can make a difference in the AL Central race. If the White Sox are to accomplish their goal, it will likely be in part because their versatile relief corps consistently shortens games and secures victories.
"Everybody's pretty hungry to go out there and do their job," reliever Aaron Bummer said. "I think we're seven, eight deep to go out there and get competitive outs. As long as we keep ourselves in games, I think our bullpen is going to be a pretty good strength going forward."
The lefty Bummer could be one of the most dynamic weapons out of the White Sox bullpen. He posted a 2.13 ERA over 67 2/3 innings in 2019, often working multiple innings in relief. Though Bummer wasn't the closer last season, he could again serve as the team's primary high-leverage arm.
Veteran right-hander Alex Colome appears set to be the White Sox's closer once again in 2020 after posting a 2.80 ERA while recording 30 saves last season. The combination of Bummer and Colome offered manager Rick Renteria a steady tandem in the late innings in 2019, and the White Sox hope that's the case again.
The White Sox also received a key boost to their bullpen by signing veteran righty Steve Cishek in January. Cishek posted a 2.55 ERA in 150 appearances for the Cubs across the last two seasons.
Cishek knows he must be mindful of his workload in the short season in order to be at his best.
"Whenever I'm needed, I'll be ready for the call," Cishek said. "I just got to try to do a better job of being honest with myself going out there, because I want to make sure I'm sharp so I can get the job done for the guys."
The White Sox also received a key contribution from righty Evan Marshall, who recorded a 2.49 ERA over 50 2/3 innings of work in 2019. Righty Jimmy Cordero joined the White Sox late last July and posted a 2.89 ERA in 37 1/3 innings. Righty Kelvin Herrera (6.14 ERA in 57 appearances in 2019) and lefty Jace Fry (4.75 ERA in 68 appearances) are looking to bounce back after struggling last season.
With the season set to be a sprint, the White Sox -- and other MLB teams -- won't have the luxury of patience for struggling relievers. It's why the rest of their bullpen could feature starters bumped from the rotation, with left-hander Carlos Rodon and perhaps right-hander Michael Kopech entering the relief mix after coming off their respective Tommy John recoveries.
The White Sox have plenty of options in a versatile bullpen, and they hope that gives them an edge as they move forward with these 60 games.
"Every out counts," Bummer said. "Every game matters that much more. I think that our entire bullpen's going to be ready to go -- any situation."