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Chicago White Sox Demoting Micah Johnson a Curious Ordeal

By Josh Sippie

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Usually, for a player to earn a demotion, he has to be a consistent liability. As a hitter, maybe you’re in an 0-17 slump with 14 strikeouts and you’ve never really proven yourself at the Major League level. For a pitcher, maybe you’ve given up 19 earned runs in your past 16 innings across four starts. Demotions happen, and sometimes being in the minor leagues can kick start a little form.

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Maybe being demoted didn’t even have anything to do with your own form, but someone in the minors is just impossible not to promote.

Whatever the case, Micah Johnson‘s demotion by the Chicago White Sox makes no sense at all. Micah Johnson is one of the Sox top prospects, he was hitting .270 and he was proving that maybe it was his time to stick in the Majors.

But the White Sox thought otherwise, demoting Micah Johnson for Carlos Sanchez, who has since come to the majors and gotten five hits in 31 at-bats, striking out 33% of the time and making quite a few question what exactly Micah Johnson did so wrong.

Well, look no further than his defense, which has been cited as the main reason for his demotion. But according to the Chicago-Sun Times, the White Sox were only 14th in defensive runs saves. That’ right in the middle of the pack. Sure, it’s not ideal, but it’s not detrimental either. What is detrimental is being dead last in runs scored like the White Sox are. Being dead last in stolen bases doesn’t help either.

Micah Johnson has more of what the White Sox need than Carlos Sanchez. Offense is what the Sox need, and Micah Johnson provided that. A few blips in defense and a couple mental hiccups isn’t enough to merit a switch to an offensive liability and a strikeout machine.

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While Carlos Sanchez was hitting .344 before his promotion, he’s not getting the job done in the Majors whereas Micah Johnson was. Johnson is the 5th ranked prospect in the Sox organization, he’s shown good defense in the past, it may have just been a case of getting him over his initial jitters, which they skipped over and demoted him. Either way, Micah Johnson is the future at second base for the White Sox and sending him down is just delaying that process for no reason.

Defense is a big part of the game, given, but when it comes to what the White Sox need more, Micah Johnson is the answer. Carlos Sanchez is just a holdover until Johnson is deemed “ready” but he’s already proven that he’s ready. Now we have to continue to wait until the White Sox front office recognizes that again.

Next: White Sox contenders yet?

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