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White Sox emerging depth makes Leury Garcia expendable

White Sox emerging depth makes Leury Garcia expendable originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

I miss the old Leury Garcia. The 2019-2021 Leury Garcia. The clutch playoff homer-hitting Leury Garcia. The serviceable, smiling, pinch-hitting Leury Garcia.

Alright, that’s a bit misleading, as we all know Leury was never really an impact player for the White Sox. However, case in point, Leury was a respectable depth piece for the Chicago White Sox between 2015 and 2021. Things took a massive turn for the worse last season, though, as the 31-year-old (32 in a couple of weeks) was arguably the worst hitter in baseball. In fact, by wRC+, which is an effective measure of total offensive value, Garcia was literally the worst player in baseball (39 wRC+, min. 300 PA). His final slash line read .210/.233/.267, good for an OPS of – drum roll please – .500!

Every player will have down seasons, but such a drastic downturn in production combined with age considerations should warrant a willingness for White Sox management to at least try new things. It would be a tough sell, as White Sox GM Rick Hahn inked Garcia to a three-year, $16.5 million contract through 2024 before last season. However, note that the Sox boasted their financial toughness by swallowing most of Dallas Keuchel’s $19.5 million owed upon cutting him in May 2022 — thus, there should be little hesitation to eat even less now.

Watching games and clips of the clubhouse, it’s clear that Leury is a likable teammate. So, while a release of the utility man may not please too many players initially, such a move is starting to look necessary for Rick Hahn and Pedro Grifol. That’s not just because of Leury’s capabilities or lack thereof, but rather, because viable replacement options are surfacing.

Garcia’s calling card is certainly his defensive versatility, which is precisely why his days may be numbered — multiple infield pieces can play three positions, while the system also features intriguing outfield players. Grifol has a mix of young guys and veterans in this depth group, so any age preference one way leaves no advantage to Garcia.

Let’s break down the potential names that could serve as replacements for Leury Garcia.

I was personally unimpressed with Romy Gonzalez in his time with the White Sox, while of course acknowledging the broken-up major league stints and fairly small sample size. Yet the 26-year-old still managed to be twice the offensive player Garcia was, with better defense as well.

Lenyn Sosa was a similar story, turning heads with his impressive play in the minors before struggling in very limited time with the major league club. He is just 23 but actually has played slightly more minor league games than Gonzalez, including more Triple-A contests. Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s fourth-best prospect, Sosa has made a strong case with his .821 OPS in 2022 Triple-A to prove his worth in the bigs with a consistent roster spot.

As alluded to, both Sosa and Gonzalez have experience at three or more positions, so they can confidently handle the super-utility role. Overall, both young players look better than Garcia and project to improve over their next few seasons, while Garcia seems unlikely to turn things around drastically in the eleventh season of his career.

The only explanation for favoring Garcia over Gonzalez or Sosa would be that the latter two could possibly use more time to develop in the minors. I don’t fully buy it, as Gonzalez is 26 and Garcia has been playing pro ball since 2017. Sure, it would be nice to give them more plate appearances in Charlotte than have them sit most days in Chicago, but there comes a time when your only chance to move forward is simply as a bench player in the majors.

If Hahn and Co. still feel both players have things to learn in the minors, then fine. Even then, I would imagine such a stint would last no longer than 30 or 40 games, and Garcia’s time should then be up.

Or, even better, the next option, who’s played in the major leagues for seven seasons, has an argument to take Garcia’s job before Opening Day.

Finish this article at soxon35th.com and read more about the potential options to replace Leury Garcia on the 2023 White Sox roster.

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