MINNEAPOLIS -- The White Sox will not have a starting pitcher work at least 200 innings this season, with Ivan Nova (176 innings) or Reynaldo López (172) figuring to finish with the team high.

Lucas Giolito, who hurled two shutouts and three complete games during this All-Star campaign, had an outside chance with 176 2/3 innings to date and three potential starts remaining going into this series at Target Field. A season-ending mild lat strain derailed those plans, but as a top-of-the-rotation starter, that total still remains a prime goal for the right-hander in future years.

“It’s what I aspire to do. I really want to throw 200 innings,” Giolito said. “I missed out on that opportunity with a couple of bad starts this year and my two IL stints, with the hamstring and now the lat.

“But for me, I think it’s very attainable. As far as improvements for next year, I want to bring the walks down even further. That’s going to help with [pitching more innings], because I’ll be pitching deeper into games. Not having as many guys on base. That’s always a goal of mine to throw 200 innings. It’s just continuing to build on the consistency.”

James Shields threw 204 2/3 innings for the White Sox in 2018, and while nobody came close in ’17, Chris Sale (226 2/3 innings) and Jose Quintana (208) each surpassed that threshold in ’16. The White Sox have always put a priority on building a strong rotation, one through five, and have continued that theme during their rebuild by putting together top young arms such as Giolito, Lopez, Michael Kopech and Dylan Cease, to name a few.

Without the White Sox using an opener strategy, that 200-inning benchmark becomes an important one for the White Sox pitchers.

“Absolutely, for me, it’s very important. Different teams, different philosophies,” Giolito said. “Teams that utilize openers and things like that, a starting pitcher reaching 200 innings, it might be harder. But with how we go about it as an organization, it’s very attainable and I want to do that next year.”

“Every pitcher that goes in, no matter what situation it is, you want outs,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “The space in between one club and another, you need outs. You need guys to get the guy outs, up by five or down by five. You don’t want to let someone back into a game, or you want to hold where you are at. All those guys are important.”

Sanchez wants to stay

Yolmer Sanchez’s return to the White Sox for 2020 and beyond remains somewhat uncertain. Sanchez, who has a $4.625 million salary this season, is arbitration eligible in each of the next two years and Nick Madrigal, the No. 41 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is almost certain to take over at second base next season. But Sanchez knows where he would like to be.

“It’s not on me, but I’m going to do everything possible to be here,” Sanchez said. “This is my only team. I signed when I was 16 [years old].

“I know everybody here. Everybody knows me. It’s been like kind of my family here. I’m going to do everything possible from my side to be here on this team and be part of the championship we know is really close. I want to be here.”

Sanchez’s primary value is his defense, where he not only ranks as a team asset, but one of the best defensive second basemen in baseball. He entered Wednesday’s season finale against the Twins with 8 DRS, the most in the American League and the second most in MLB. His UZR of 5.0 leads all second basemen.

His change from third base in 2018 to second in ’19 was a seamless one, though he had played second before.

“I like to make plays, diving, whatever,” Sanchez said. “For me, it’s not hard. It’s fun to play second. You have more opportunity to make more plays and to turn double plays and all that. So, for me, I’m just happy.”

He said it

“His approach, in general, has been a little bit more aggressive and certainly he has bat speed, the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark and hit the ball very hard, and he can do it from both sides of the plate.” -- Renteria on Yoan Moncada