In sports, it is always about the battle within the game. Call it gamesmanship or mental warfare, this aspect of competition has really always been around but is especially prominent today in baseball. Pitchers like Chicago White Sox starter Lucas Giolito bemoan the prevalence of sign-stealing and how disruptive it can be to their preparation on the mound.

“It’s constant, and it’s annoying to me personally,” Giolito told Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I wish there was none of that and we could just play baseball but unfortunately that’s the state of the game. Teams are always trying to get information. So you have to stay on top of it.”

The 2019 All-Star perfectly summed up the dilemma. It is ingrained into the game and will only be more pervasive with so many teams specifically looking for indications that a hurler is tipping his pitches. It forces Giolito and others to be aware of their motion, habits and surroundings in addition to being engaged in a chess match with the opposing hitter. Pitching is a demanding job that is made more burdensome by sign-stealing.

The MLB is unlikely to crack down on the practice, as it is perfectly legal just as long as technology and trash cans are not involved. Fortunately, Lucas Giolito has not given batters too much info this season by the looks of his 3.41 ERA.

The right-hander could be a coveted commodity around the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline if the 34-46 White Sox do not gain more ground in the lowly American League Central. Pitching is always highly valued ahead of the postseason push, and Giolito could be a big addition for a contender.

He would have to add assimilating to a new city and team on the growing to-do list pitchers must regularly check off. Such is life for a modern-day MLB arm.