3 players the Chicago White Sox must cut before June is over
The Chicago White Sox have a few players that they should cut before June is over.
The Chicago White Sox are about to be playing June baseball. By now, we are starting to get an idea of each MLB team's identity.
The White Sox's identity is that they are the worst team in the league. Their pitching could be much worse but they don't hit well at all.
There are a few guys on this roster who have no business being there when the team is in the state that they are in.
Before June is over, the White Sox need to make a few drastic moves to help improve the overall vibes around the team.
Most of the fanbase has lost interest already which is horrible for the organization. To help better it, making sure these three players are gone before the end of June might help:
The Chicago White Sox don't need to have Mike Clevinger anymore
Mike Clevinger is one of the worst things to ever happen to the Chicago White Sox. He was an okay pitcher but a lot of off-the-field baggage came with him.
The team is very bad and has a lot of young players trying to develop. The White Sox don't need a guy like Clevinger around.
It felt like they were escaping him when the miserable 2023 season ended but the even worse 2024 season included the team signing him after Opening Day already happened.
It isn't even like he is pitching well this year either. He's 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.938 WHIP. His -0.2 WAR tells you just how bad he is. The White Sox are an even worse team because he's there.
They should do right now what they should have done before last year even started. They should cut Mike Clevinger before June is over.
The Chicago White Sox need to let go of Martin Maldonado soon
Martin Maldonado is a very good defensive catcher and always has been. The Houston Astros used to love him because of how he played back there. They didn’t care if he ever got a hit because of how well he played the position.
At 37 years old, however, things are different. He is not good enough as a defensive catcher to outweigh how bad he’s been as a hitter. He is likely the worst hitter in the league.
Right now, he is slashing .081/.132/.128 for an OPS of .260. He has one home run, four RBIs, and one run scored. You won’t see stats this bad for an MLB player because most teams don’t play guys that bad.
The White Sox should have already cut ties with him but he should be gone before June is over. Korey Lee should be the new primary catcher and they can give someone else a look as the backup. Enough is enough.
There is no reason for the Chicago White Sox to keep Andrew Benintendi
The Chicago White Sox signed Andrew Benintendi to the largest contract in franchise history two off-seasons ago. It seemed like an okay signing at the time.
Since then, he’s been the most terrible player for the organization. He is one of the worst-qualified hitters in Major League Baseball.
On top of his bad defense this year, he’s only slashing .189/.226/.265 for an OPS of .491. He has 3 HRs, 17 RBIs, and 12 runs scored. Those stats are slightly better than Maldonado’s but he wasn’t the highest-paid player either. He also doesn’t have 49 games played either.
Honestly, it is hard to see the White Sox cutting Benintendi because of his salary but it would be money better spent if he didn’t play for them anymore. It’s been that bad. The right decision is to let him go but the White Sox never makes decisions like that.
It is sad to be saying this about Benintendi who has been a great player in the league but it isn’t working out in Chicago. There are younger/better players available for them to play over Benintendi.