The White Sox are the lone team in the American League that has not yet reached three wins. To make matters worse, Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert Jr., and Eloy Jimenez are all sidelined for the foreseeable future with injury.
Injuries and underperformance have plagued the White Sox for over two years now. If there's one positive, it's that the majority of the roster is not under contract after this season. The White Sox appear set to wither away at the bottom of the division for the rest of this season and then try to field a competitive roster by the time 2025 rolls around.
Today, let's identify three players who should not be in the team's plans for 2025. Whether it be due to injury or just plain bad performance, these players have shown they cannot be relied upon going forward.
Eloy Jimenez
Eloy Jimenez has always produced when he's actually on the field. The problem is, being on the field consistently has always been a problem for Jimenez. As a rookie in 2019, Jimenez played in 122 games. In 2023, the slugger got into 120 games. In 2020 and 2021, Jimenez played in just 110 games total. The story was the same in 2022, as Jimenez played in just 84 games.
Last summer, when the Sox were selling off valuable targets, Jimenez was rumored to be a hot candidate. However, no deal came to fruition, and now Jimenez's value is less than what it was a year ago.
Still, for a team seeking a bat with some pop to fill in as the designated hitter, Jimenez could provide some decent value.
Jimenez has a career slash line of 274/.323/.485 with 89 homers and 275 RBI. That would be nice production to have on the roster, but Jimenez has not been able to prove he can stay healthy. There's nothing to suggest that will change anytime soon, as Jimenez is currently on the shelf again with an adductor strain. Jimenez is under contract until 2027, but it's time for the team to see what they can get for him.
Yoan Moncada
Yoan Moncada, like Jimenez, has been incredibly frustrating as a fan of the Sox. At times, Moncada has looked like he's on the verge of becoming a star.
At other times, it looks like he doesn't belong anywhere near a professional baseball field. In between the inconsistent performance, Moncada has had his share of injury troubles.
The third baseman once again finds himself on the injured list after suffering an adductor strain against the Cleveland Guardians.
Even before the latest injury, Moncada has missed 129 games over the past two seasons. It's a shame that Moncada is once again hurt, because he was having a decent start to the season with a .282/.364/.410 slash line.
At this point, the Sox need to cut their losses with Moncada. The third baseman will officially become a free agent until 2026. However, the team could decline a club option after the season and make him free to sign elsewhere, so a team may be willing to bet on his talent. Moncada's value is nowhere near the highest it's ever been, but he also provides no value on the injured list.
Chicago White Sox v Cleveland Guardians / Jason Miller/GettyImages
Nicky Lopez
Nicky Lopez was acquired from the Atlanta Braves in the Aaron Bummer deal.
The speedster has been the primary second baseman this year, and things have not gone well. Lopez has never hit well, but his slash line of .167/.242/.167 in 2023 is especially putrid.
Lopez has been solid in the field thus far, but it has not made up for his lack of production at the plate. Lopez has accounted for -0.1 WAR and has more strikeouts than walks.
If you can't find a better option to play second base, then you must not be trying very hard.
The former Kansas City Royal and Atlanta Brave is under contract until 2026. The Sox should make every effort to add a 2B this offseason and move on from Lopez. Perhaps keeping the speedster around as a defensive replacement and baserunner makes sense, but Lopez should not sniff the field as a starter.
