July 19: Mendick cleared waivers and is headed to Triple-A Charlotte, with Fegan among those to relay the news on X.
July 17: The White Sox announced that they have signed infielder Nick Senzel, a move that was reported last night. To make room for Senzel, they designated infielder Danny Mendick for assignment. They also optioned infielder Lenyn Sosa, leaving a roster spot open. James Fegan of Sox Machine suggests on X that Yoán Moncada could take that spot, though that’s not confirmed as of now.
Mendick, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Sox and was added to the club’s roster in late April. He has appeared in 47 games for the Sox, stepping to the plate 141 times. Unfortunately, he has hit just .197/.243/.318 this year. He has struck out in 24.8% of his plate appearances while walking at a 4.3% clip, with both of those being subpar.
This is his sixth straight major league season, with most of his offensive output being fairly uninspiring. He had a nice flash of brilliance in 2022, slashing .289/.343/.443, but that season was cut short when he suffered a torn ACL after 31 games. Overall, he has a .232/.286/.346 batting line and 76 wRC+ in 656 career plate appearances.
He has now been nudged of Chicago’s roster and they will have some time to try to work out the next steps, whether that’s a trade or trying to pass Mendick. DFA limbo can last as long as a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, so any possibility of a trade will have to be explored in the next five days. Though with Mendick’s performance this year, interest is likely to be muted anyhow.
He can at least provide clubs with defensive versatility. He has played second and third base this year and also has some work at shortstop and in the outfield on his track record. He hasn’t been much of a base-stealer in his career but has swiped six bags without being caught this season. Mendick has an option and can therefore be kept in the minors if any club gives him a 40-man roster spot. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, he will have the right to elect free agency, both because he has a previous career outright and because he has more than three years of service time.
Oh goody Moncada is coming back to do his Anthony Rendon impression. Woo Hoo!
Probably worse than Rendon in some aspects. Moncada will make some frustrating plays either fielding or running the bases. Rendon just gets hurt a lot.
Too bad. Mendick was a pretty good player until he tore up his leg and was sent packing. Glad Moncada is coming back at least until he…
If he does stay in the lineup, it’s probably going to be subpar hitting, with a touch of asinine baserunning and fielding mistakes.
If Moncada can stay healthy for a week and hit above .200 he will join Kopech, Fedde, Pham, DeJung, Brebbia and probably Crochet and Robert. All those guys will be somewhere else by the deadline and hopefully Getz concentrates on bringing in guys who can actually drive in some runs.
Not with a 25 million dollar price tag and 5 million dollar buyout for next year which the other team would have to pay.He’s not getting moved besides nobody would want him anyway. The Cubs can’t move Smyly and he’s only worth half of 11 million.
My guess is the Sox pay most of that but not all and land a lower tier prospect. Moncada is not necessarily a rental in that there is a team option and he had a nice finish to last year. He just can’t stay healthy but with no guaranteed money for him after this year I would not be surprised to see some decent offense leading to a deal
My guess is Moncada isn’t traded. Eloy probably isn’t either. Both will get put on waivers at the end of August hoping someone needs them enough to pick up the rest of the contracts.
The White Sox eat money from a contract? Are you new in town?
I don’t think they will be able to move either player at the deadline due to production and money owed.
They’ll be on the hook anyway so I think they’ll take the chance before the playoff roster deadline to see if some team is in a desperate enough situation to take the contracts without having to give up prospect capital.
The Cubs can certainly use an upgrade at 3B. Yoan Moncada is a very proficient defender at the hot corner and is tyoically a better overall hitter than either Christopher Morel, Patrick Wisdom or Nick Madrigal when healthy an playing regularly.
Perhaps the city rivals can work out a deal that helps both teams shed some salary, give the Cubs a better 3B option and perhaps a bullpen arm while providing the White Sox with some prospect capital. I could envision a multi player blockbuster involving Moncada, utility infielder Nicky Lopez and a reliever like Michael Kopech or John Brebia heading north with the White Sox taking on Smyly’s remaining contract and 2025 option while securing a lottery pick prospect or two.
That’s a creative trade proposal I give you that. But just keeping things simple; The Cubs should hamer out a deal for only Kopech.
Maybe you missed the part where the Cubs are only 3 million under the tax. Yeah that’s happening..
The same Kopech that has eight saves, eight blown saves and seven losses? He needs to go back to the rotation and see if he can be made into a serviceable fifth starter. He’s not a closer but is a choker.
The White Sox want nothing to do with Drew Smyly’s terrible money. The Cubs want nothing to do with paying the luxury tax. This has a snowball’s chance in hell of happening.
I like your optimism, but I just don’t think there’ll be time before the deadline for Moncada to prove to anyone that he’s worth a prospect (at $24M salary). If the Sox agreed to cover most of that, they could get a lottery ticket, but we all know they won’t do that.
I don’t love Senzel, but this move makes sense.
Dude, I’ve often wondered how bad it sucks getting cut from the worst team in the majors
Aww man I rather enjoy watching Mendick.
He’s got a collection of videos on pornhub for you then
Yoan Moncada might be nearing a return with Lenyn Sosa being optioned to AAA as part of the roster shuffling. Sosa will likely be back once Paul DeJong is traded by the July 30th trade deadline.
Musical chairs continues with this White Sox team…
…. Like arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Don’t google his last name. I am now traumatized.
How bad must you feel if even the White Sox don’t want you?
“White Sox don’t want you”…That’s when it’s time to check your apartment lease, update the resume and get ready to use that college degree you (hopefully)earned in school.
Maldonaldo also got DFA’d too. They’ll probably call up Perez or Robinson.
Everybody seems to think it will be Chucky Robinson.
And the hobo train keeps rolling.
“I swear I saw Mr Mendick, down along the tracks, he lost his spot on the 40-man roster and he won’t be coming back….”
I get Mendick mixed up with Senzel and vice versa, not sure why.
Moncada will go down with an oblique strained caused by the weight of his gold chains.
Sell the team Mr.Reinsdorf. Terrible brand of baseball from top office to low minors. Organization doesnt develop prospects.
Pedro Grifol has the lowest managerial winning percentage of any manager through 250 games at .331