After one disappointing season, the Chicago White Sox have apparently seen enough of Brett Lawrie.
For three years running (2009-2011), Brett Lawrie was ranked as a top-100 prospect in all of baseball by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Through four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and one with the Oakland Athletics that had not translated to major league production, due in part to injuries, and the Chicago White Sox acquired Lawrie prior to the 2016 season.
Left hamstring, knee, quad and calf issues limited Lawrie to 94 games last season, with a .248/.310/.413 slash-line, 12 home runs and 36 RBI, and recurring leg issues have kept him sidelined to this point in spring training. On Friday, with apparently no end to his absence in sight, the White Sox have decided to cut ties with Lawrie.
#WhiteSox have requested waivers on Brett Lawrie for purpose of granting him his unconditional release.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) March 3, 2017
Lawrie has a .261/.315/.419 career slash-line, with 71 home runs and 253 RBI over 588 games. He offers positon versatility, with ample experience at third base (417 starts) and second base (164 starts), but Lawrie has not stayed on the field enough to be a difference maker. But at still just 27 years old, another team is sure to give Lawrie a shot if there’s any chance he can get healthy.
Tyler Saladino did fairly well in Lawrie’s stead last year, hitting .282 with eight home runs, 38 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 93 games (298 at-bats). He was probably the frontrunner to be the Opening starter at second base or the White Sox anyway, and Lawrie being let go now confirms it.
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Yolmer (previously Carlos) Sanchez and Yoan Moncada, the prize of the Chris Sale trade from the Boston Red Sox this offseason, are also in the mix at second base for the Pale Hose. Moncada may start the season at Triple-A, but it’s probably only a matter of time before he’s called up and is in the every day lineup.
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