Yoan Moncada will not return when the Sox can pay him $5 million to go away rather than $25 million to stay

The Chicago White Sox of 2024 will be remembered as the worst team in Major League Baseball history. Don’t expect the 2025 iteration to perform much better because the team is expected to reduce wages. However, this team will improve if they acquire some of the frequently injured, ineffective, or simply barely afloat major-league players.

Five players will not be back with the team next season…

Yoan Moncada

This one is a no-brainer since he missed most of the season with a hip injury. That injury was just one more in a long list of injuries that have kept him from becoming the player we saw in 2019. 2021 was the last time he played more than 140 games.

Since coming off the IL this month, he has barely played. It is almost like he has been designated for assignment without the official designation.

The Sox can buy out his deal for just $5 million rather than exercise his $25 million option. Moncada already has a plan to showcase himself for another team next season.

Chuckie Robinson

He has been a solid defensive backup catcher ever since the team finally decided to move on from Martin Maldonado. Comparing Robinson’s average to Maldonado’s and Chuckie looks like Johnny Bench.

Alas, Robinson is batting well below .200. Teams can find depth catchers like him anyway. With top-five prospect, Edgar Quero expected to be given every shot to be the starter next year, along with Korey Lee already emerging as a high-ceiling backup catcher with the ability to be a decent starter, there is just no room for Robinson next year even at Triple-A.

Michael Soroka

The idea of seeing he could recapture his 2019 form was worth the risk. Ineffectiveness and inconsistency prevented him from recapturing that potential ace stuff he showed before injuries wiped out most of the past couple seasons of his career.

When he was starting to show he could possibly be an effective long-reliever, injuries wiped that plan out as well.

Dominic Leone

A veteran reliever who was ineffective most of the time and a hurt for a lot of the season will be allowed to walk in free agency.

His only real contribution was helping pitching prospect Nick Nastrini turn around his season in Triple-A to get another shot at the bigs. Nastrini turned in just one good start in his third tour of duty this season before losing his command again.

Mike Clevinger

There was no reason to bring him back in the first place. He had decent numbers in 2023, but he brought up a public relations nightmare with him after domestic violence allegations.

After no other team wanting to sign him in free agency, the front office thought it was a good idea to bring him back for a veteran starter who could possibly be leveraged at the trade deadline. It completely ignored that he was on the open market twice and no one wanted him.