White Sox cuts, round 2

[Eminor3rd]

You could be right, but again, Leury only has 240 AB in AAA and was in over his head and not batting regularly, a recipe for bad results. Emilio Bonafacio is loved here. He put up a .650 OPS last year, the second highest of his career. Leury could develop enough to put up a .650 OPS IMO.

 

I agree. I think he can drop his K rate substantially if he improves his approach. His contact rate has not been nearly as bad as his K rate would suggest. With some reps and instruction, I could absolutely see him becoming a poor man's Bonifacio, which definitely has some value.

[southsider2k5]

That still doesn't mean it makes sense for the White Sox to just let Leury go. Saladino, Sanchez and Garcia aren't much different as projected finish projects. They pretty much all project to utility guys. Leury may not ever be able to hit, but same with the others. Saladino will be 26 this summer. Still in AAA usually isn't the recipe for future difference maker. Keep as many as you can around. No reason to let anyone go to make room for Brad Penny.

 

There are guys in front of Leury that will go first, but especially if any of Saladino and Sanchez and the new guy from the Reds keep improving, the rope will get shorter and shorter for Garcia. He needs to show some big improvements with the bat in the minors to still be on the 40 man roster at this time next year. I am not going to say it is impossible, but he has a longer road than most.

[southsider2k5]

You could be right, but again, Leury only has 240 AB in AAA and was in over his head and not batting regularly, a recipe for bad results. Emilio Bonafacio is loved here. He put up a .650 OPS last year, the second highest of his career. Leury could develop enough to put up a .650 OPS IMO.

 

A .650 OPS is 251 points above where Garcia was last year. To give some depth to how much improvement that is, adding 250 points to Bonifacios OPS would get you up to Miguel Cabrera. (actually .895)

[GreenSox]

He is never going to be a good hitter, but chances are most of the White Sox prospects will not be good hitters in the major leagues either. He does offer other things many White Sox prospects do not. And if he can work on keeping the ball out of the air, he may develop into a guy whose offense is good enough.

Agree.

You don't cut Leury. A full season of Charlotte ABs should do him well.

I guess they can't take him off the 40 man without exposing him?

 

Wilkins too. Too soon to cut him.

Edited March 24, 2015 by GreenSox

[NorthSideSox72]

Agree.

You don't cut Leury. A full season of Charlotte ABs should do him well.

I guess they can't take him off the 40 man without exposing him?

 

Wilkins too. Too soon to cut him.

This is what people are missing here... how do you get Leury a full season of AAA AB's? Who of Davidson, Saladino and Sanchez do you remove playing time from to give it to him? No one, for me.

 

[YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES!]

This is what people are missing here... how do you get Leury a full season of AAA AB's? Who of Davidson, Saladino and Sanchez do you remove playing time from to give it to him? No one, for me.

Then they could put Garcia in AA.

[Eminor3rd]

This is what people are missing here... how do you get Leury a full season of AAA AB's? Who of Davidson, Saladino and Sanchez do you remove playing time from to give it to him? No one, for me.

 

Beckham?

[Dick Allen]

This is what people are missing here... how do you get Leury a full season of AAA AB's? Who of Davidson, Saladino and Sanchez do you remove playing time from to give it to him? No one, for me.

He can play all 3 positions plus some OF. It's not like the Sox have can't miss guys ahead of him.

[Dick Allen]

A .650 OPS is 251 points above where Garcia was last year. To give some depth to how much improvement that is, adding 250 points to Bonifacios OPS would get you up to Miguel Cabrera. (actually .895)

Using his OPS from last season isn't fair. He's better than that. I think he will someday be capable of a .650 OPS, that doesn't mean right now. He needs some ABs. He has 240 in AAA.

 

When Joey Bats was 23 he put up a .512 OPS in the major leagues. Followed that up with a .404 as a 24 year old. I am not saying Leury is Joey Bats, but improvement does happen. When you aren't ready, you tend to look bad, and he clearly wasn't ready offensively.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Dick Allen

[Eminor3rd]

He can play all 3 positions plus some OF. It's not like the Sox have can't miss guys ahead of him.

 

Which, should be pointed out, he's going to have to be comfortable with if he's going to carve out an MLB career. So why not let him play OF and a different IF position every day?

[shysocks]

I agree. I think he can drop his K rate substantially if he improves his approach. His contact rate has not been nearly as bad as his K rate would suggest. With some reps and instruction, I could absolutely see him becoming a poor man's Bonifacio, which definitely has some value.

His contact rate would be 111th of 146 qualified hitters, so while that would suggest improvement, it isn't anything to write home about.

 

It's not even about his major league results, which, yes, are indicative of a guy in over his head. It's just that no-hit is the book on him. .650 OPS and poor man's Bonifacio are big stretches. He's a light hitter; some guys just can't hit. For example, I wouldn't achieve a .650 OPS in MLB even if I quit my job today and spent the next five years taking batting practice.

 

I am not saying he has no value; I said just the opposite earlier in the thread. But here's another thing I'll say: I'll be surprised if he ever gets back to 0.0 WAR for his career.

[southsider2k5]

Using his OPS from last season isn't fair. He's better than that. I think he will someday be capable of a .650 OPS, that doesn't mean right now. He needs some ABs. He has 240 in AAA.

 

We could totally go off of the .475 OPS he put in the majors in 2013.

[Dick Allen]

We could totally go off of the .475 OPS he put in the majors in 2013.

23 year old Jose Bautista (same age as Leury in 2014) .502 OPS

24 year old Jose Bautista (same age as Leury this year) .404 OPS

 

You need to take ridiculously low OPSs with a grain of salt when players clearly aren't ready. There is nothing to suggest he has conquered AAA.

 

 

Leury obviously isn't Jose Bautista. But a lot of guys do suck in the major leagues when they are 23 years old and hitting once or twice a week.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Dick Allen

[southsider2k5]

23 year old Jose Bautista (same age as Leury in 2014) .502 OPS

24 year old Jose Bautista (same age as Leury this year) .404 OPS

 

You need to take ridiculously low OPSs with a grain of salt when players clearly aren't ready. There is nothing to suggest he has conquered AAA.

 

 

Leury obviously isn't Jose Bautista. But a lot of guys do suck in the major leagues when they are 23 years old and hitting once or twice a week.

 

Then why waste everyone's time making the comp?

 

A lot more people suck, because they truly aren't good baseball players. The odds are incredibly high that Leury's problem is that he isn't a good enough baseball player to play regularly in the majors, no matter how many ABs he gets. Especially when we have guys who are ahead of him, I can't imagine wasting time on Garcia. He isn't even going to be a starter in Charlotte, which should tell you everything there is to know about Garcia.

[Dick Allen]

Then why waste everyone's time making the comp?

 

A lot more people suck, because they truly aren't good baseball players. The odds are incredibly high that Leury's problem is that he isn't a good enough baseball player to play regularly in the majors, no matter how many ABs he gets. Especially when we have guys who are ahead of him, I can't imagine wasting time on Garcia. He isn't even going to be a starter in Charlotte, which should tell you everything there is to know about Garcia.

I made the comp because this is a guy who put up a 1.056 OPS as a 30 year old, and using his age 23 or 22 limited ABs as a reason Leury can't put up a .650 OPS is silly.

 

Besides, the great Carlos Sanchez put up a .569. What kind of OPS do you think Tyler Saladino would have put up if he were in the same situation when he was 22 or 23?

 

We will see if he is going to be a starter. I think the White Sox are a lot higher on him than most here.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Dick Allen

[Eminor3rd]

It's just hard to justify giving up on a guy who costs nothing after 250 PA in the Majors. I don't think his upside is tremendous, but 70 runners that can play all over the field only need to hit a little to be rather useful, and his contact rates aren't so bad as to believe he can't do just that.

[southsider2k5]

I made the comp because this is a guy who put up a 1.056 OPS as a 30 year old, and using his age 23 or 22 limited ABs as a reason Leury can't put up a .650 OPS is silly.

 

Besides, the great Carlos Sanchez put up a .569. What kind of OPS do you think Tyler Saladino would have put up if he were in the same situation when he was 22 or 23?

 

We will see if he is going to be a starter. I think the White Sox are a lot higher on him than most here.

 

If they were that high on him, he'd still be with the team in camp.

[Dick Allen]

If they were that high on him, he'd still be with the team in camp.

If that is the standard they must think more of him than Salado no who was sent packing earlier.

[caulfield12]

If that is the standard they must think more of him than Salado no who was sent packing earlier.

 

 

Chef's or Chicken Ceasar Salad(o）？

[Dick Allen]

Chef's or Chicken Ceasar Salad(o）？

Chefs hold the dressing. I hate salad dressing. Load up the pepper and I am good.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Dick Allen

[ptatc]

Chefs hold the dressing. I hate salad dressing. Load up the pepper and I am good.

A little squeezed lemon instead of the dressing works too.

[southsider2k5]

If that is the standard they must think more of him than Salado no who was sent packing earlier.

 

Except Garcia was on the roster last year, and has been passed up by guys who weren't.

[Balta1701]

If they were that high on him, he'd still be with the team in camp.

Why on Earth is that true? Having him break with the big league team last year was the wrong decision if we were trying to develop him - he was only there so we could have a backup DH have at trophy year. He should be sent down! I think he's got a potential positive future still and he should be playing against minor leaguers regularly, everyday, in minor league camp, bouncing between positions.

[southsider2k5]

Why on Earth is that true? Having him break with the big league team last year was the wrong decision if we were trying to develop him - he was only there so we could have a backup DH have at trophy year. He should be sent down! I think he's got a potential positive future still and he should be playing against minor leaguers regularly, everyday, in minor league camp, bouncing between positions.

 

He is not even going to play every day in the minors.

[Buehrlesque]

It's just hard to justify giving up on a guy who costs nothing after 250 PA in the Majors. I don't think his upside is tremendous, but 70 runners that can play all over the field only need to hit a little to be rather useful, and his contact rates aren't so bad as to believe he can't do just that.

Like him or dislike him, the point of outrighting Leury isn't just to give up on him, it's to make room on the 40-man for players who are going to have a much clearer impact on the team in 2015. In that context, it doesn't make sense to protect Leury's roster spot while sacrificing major league wins in 2015. Somebody, probably several somebodies, will have to go, and Leury is low man on the totem pole.