Chicago White Sox: The mystery of Yermin Mercedes’ future

There was a time when Yermin Mercedes was one of the biggest surprises in baseball. The Chicago White Sox rookie had been a minor league lifer before catching the attention of Tony La Russa during spring training. Mercedes was a part of the Opening Day roster, quickly becoming a fan favorite as he improbably became the frontrunner for the AL Rookie of the Year award in April.

But all good things have to end. That was the case with Mercedes as well, as he earned La Russa’s wrath after hitting a homer on a 3-0 pitch with the White Sox comfortably ahead. While his teammates had his back, Mercedes was not the same afterwards, entering a drastic slump before being sent to Triple-A.

Yermin Mercedes’ future with Chicago White Sox in question

With the White Sox looking for a catcher, a position that Mercedes nominally plays, and his success at Triple-A, one would have thought that he would be back in the majors. However, that has not happened, leaving one of the brighter stars of April sitting in the minors. Instead, he announced on his Instagram account that he is retiring from the game.

While Mercedes’ retirement may have been a shock to the baseball world, it was equally surprising to the White Sox. As far as they are concerned, he is still part of the active roster in Charlotte, and had not received any word from Mercedes that he is stepping away from baseball.

Mercedes had been on fire in Triple-A since being demoted. Although he had just 61 plate appearances, he had produced a .309/.377/.655 batting line, hitting four homers and five doubles. He still had a solid showing in the majors even with his recent slump, and will forever be remembered on the Southside for stepping up at a time when the team needed him most.

Yermin Mercedes has indicated that he is walking away from baseball. The problem is that the Chicago White Sox are unaware of his plans.