Free agent outfielder John Mayberry Jr. has signed a minor league deal with the White Sox, according to a tweet from the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. Mayberry, a client of CAA Sports, was released by the Mets following the team’s acquisition of Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe.
Signed by New York to a one-year contract this winter, Mayberry struggled to a .164/.227/.318 batting line with three homers in 119 plate appearances with the Mets. Those numbers represent a stark decline from the roughly league-average (.241/.305/.429) batting line that Mayberry carried into the 2015 season.
Hitting lefties has always been the right-handed Mayberry’s calling card — career .260/.315/.517/ — but even that skill seemed to elude him during his time in Queens. Mayberry’s numbers against lefties in 2015 were better than his numbers against righties, but he still mustered just a .628 OPS.
The White Sox abruptly changed course heading into the deadline and elected not to sell off any veteran pieces, instead pursuing outfield bats such as Yoenis Cespedes and Justin Upton. While Mayberry quite clearly isn’t an addition of that magnitude, he does offer the Sox a veteran depth piece who could come up and help in the corner outfield versus lefties if he can get back to his old form with the Knights in Triple-A. Both Melky Cabrera and Adam Eaton have hit poorly against southpaws this season, and the team doesn’t have much in the way of Major League outfield depth beyond its starting trio (which also includes Avisail Garcia). Trayce Thompson and Leury Garcia are currently the team’s reserve options in the outfield, but Garcia has been an infielder throughout his entire pro career, and Thompson has just one Major League plate appearance.
Mayberry always seemed like a guy who should just be better. By the ‘eye-test,’ which by no means is accurate, has always looked to have a clue in the outfield, hes a good 1B, decent arm, huge pop, but struggles to make good contact. Back in 2011, I thought he was going to take the reigns from Ibanez in LF and run with it for years. Never happened, its a shame after his dad had such great success
I remember back in 2011, my dad and I were saying how better Mayberry was better than Brown. Now we know both players stink :P
He really was a solid platoon bat though.
Mayberry Jr. looked absolutely lost at the plate this year for the Mets. Having him in the lineup was like having a second pitcher’s spot. Hope he can regain his form for the CWS.
Not when DeGrom was batting
Good point Nathaniel. Several Mets pitchers outhit Mssr. Mayberry this year:
Mayberry .164 .227 .318
DeGrom .182 .217 .205
Colon .150 .146 .175
Harvey .149 .149 .255
Niese .184 .244 .211
Matz .500 .500 .667
Matz has like 4 ABs lol
It is like the Sox are making a move to make a move. How is Mayberry Jr any better than any of the guys they already have, either at the big league club or in the minors? I guess this is just another lost season with the typical Sox Front office delusions of grandeur that somehow miraculously they will stop getting beaten by good teams and jump, what, 5 teams for a wild card spot? Keep up the ‘good’ work Hahn and KW.