3 Chicago White Sox players no longer worth defending

The Chicago White Sox have earned every bit of scrutiny and skepiticism.

The current state of the team is due largely to self-inflicted wounds. Bad ownership, bad drafting, and bad leadership in the front office, along with in the clubhouse, have led to everything just being bad when it comes to White Sox baseball.

Still, it does not mean the root cause of all the team's problems can be traced back to the organization.

You can hate Jerry Reinsdorf's lack of major spending or Chris Getz being overpromoted to the general manager job. At the same time, those two are not literally stepping into the batter's box or toeing the rubber trying to get outs.

They are running out talent-deficient rosters, but at the same time, guys like Jacob Amaya, Lenyn Sosa, and Nick Maton are getting playing time and should maximize the opportunity that not many other teams would give them.

While those guys likely should not be playing at the big-league level, they are here and have a duty to prove why they should be in the show.

So, if they fail, it is not all on the organization because they have an obligation to their careers to maximize their rare opportunity.

That is why three players are no longer worth defending for their struggles.

No, it is not Amaya, Sosa, or Maton.

Instead, it is a former first-round pick who has never lived up to the expectations of being taken No. 3 overall. The other is a former All-Star who is off to a slow start.

The third is a pitcher that only the White Sox still seem to think is a big-league pitcher, yet there is a portion of the fan base that treats him like a sacred cow.

Andrew Vaughn

Every single White Sox starting positional player got a hit except Vaughn on Friday's fun 11-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. He also went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in yesterday's 3-2 walkoff victory.

He has literally contributed nothing to the White Sox stunning the Red Sox for a series victory with the chance to sweep on Sunday.

He is off to another terrible start, much like he had in 2024. This one might be his worst start yet as his average is close to dipping below .100.

Vaughn has been nothing more than a replacement-level player since debuting in 2021. If he were a 10th-round pick, his current career fWAR being a tick under zero would not be a big deal.

He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 draft during a period when the team was tanking on purpose to get high draft picks to acquire impact players.

Vaughn's only impact has been that the team keeps losing ever since he became the regular first baseman.

Those who still think Vaughn can be something more than average love to point out that he was rushed to the big leagues.

Vaughn played in just 54 minor-league games before making the 2021 Opening Day roster. Those 54 games came in 2019 since the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 season for the minor leagues.

The defenders also point out that he was asked to play the outfield during his first two seasons.

However, he has been the everyday first baseman since 2023 and has played in 575 MLB games. That has been more than enough time to figure out how to be a consistent above-replacement-level player by now.

Going to Triple-A is not going to suddenly shake Vaughn out of his slump, as it might be time to realize he is just not an impact player.

Luis Robert Jr.

Cold weather is likely the culprit to LRJ's slow start. His career slash line in March and April is .231/.275/.403

"Louie" Robert has admitted he is not a fan of playing in the cold. Maybe the chilly April weather is one reason he has suffered so many injuries.

At the same time, people have got to stop blaming all the losing the White Sox have endured as to why he has been playing terribly since 2023.

He had an MVP-caliber season in 2023 when the White Sox lost 100 games. He is also claiming this is his team. If the franchise traumatized him that much, he likely would not be making such a claim.

If he is claiming this is his team, then he has to start playing like he is the catalyst of this team and not an anchor dragging the team down.

He is starting to show signs of breaking out of his season-starting slump during this series against Boston.

Also, paying Robert Jr. leading to all his injuries has got to stop too.

Robert Jr's deal is never going to pay him the $24 million Yoan Moncada got last season. If he can return to his 2023 form with a great May, his $15 million salary will look like a steal.

You can still defend his slow start by citing the weather. Just stop using losing for why he struggles and the money for having injuries.

Mike Clevinger

There might not be a pitcher out there who has a portion of a team's fan base become such fierce defenders like Clevinger does.

Bring up the domestic abuse allegations made by the mother of one of his children, and his defenders throw back that he was not suspended by the league, nor was he ever charged.

Cite his inability to throw strikes lately, suddenly, he is being singled out when the rest of the bullpen has struggled, or not enough criticism is being thrown toward the offense.

Here is the thing that people who defend him never understand. First, before the domestic violence allegations, it was well-reported he was a bad teammate.

His Cleveland Guardians teammates demanded he no longer be on the team after he violated COVID-19 protocols.

He neglected to tell the White Sox he was even being investigated by MLB for domestic violence. The organization only found out after handing him a $12 million deal.

Then there is his injury history. He is always destined to make a 15-day IL stint.

Finally, the White Sox keep being the only team that values this guy when the rest of the league has past on him three times.

He was placed on waivers in 2023 when he was having a good season. No team wanted him when all it would cost was assuming the rest of his one-year deal. No one signed him in free agency in 2024 until the Sox brought him back and it was the same case in 2025.

Clevinger just is not valued by 29 other teams. That should tell you something about his character, his production, and the process the Sox keep using thinking a 34-year-old pitcher is still worth getting big-league innings when the rest of the league has thought otherwise.

That is why defending him makes no sense, especially when no other team figuratively said he is worth having on their club and dealing with his injuries, his inconsistencies, and his public relations problems.