White Sox manager Rick Renteria said Covey will get opportunities during spring training to prove he belongs in the major leagues, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Covey, a Rule 5 draft pick last year, stayed with Chicago for the entire season, but his numbers suggest he's not yet ready for prime time. In 18 games -- 12 of them starts -- the right-hander finished 0-7 with a 7.78 ERA. That outcome was utterly predictable given that Covey entered 2017 with just six games of experience at Double-A. The organization no longer needs to harbor him on the major-league roster, so we fully expect the White Sox to allow him to develop in the minors.