Luis Robert Jr. is not being traded by the White Sox, according to a report that first aired on NBC Sports Chicago.
This MLB offseason, there has been some conjecture that the White Sox may trade Luis Robert Jr. in an effort to improve their team’s long-term performance.
That’s a difficult move to make. White Sox general manager Chris Getz said as much at the MLB Winter Meetings. But he also wasn’t close-minded to the idea, however.
“Luis Robert is a very difficult player to move and expect that your club is going to get better because of it,” Getz said. “That being said, there might be a club out there that is willing to offer something that you feel can help you immediately and in the long term.
“But we’re talking about one of the best players in baseball, and we’re very fortunate to have him with the Chicago White Sox. So I have a tough time seeing him wearing another uniform next year.”
New reports show the odds of the White Sox trading Robert Jr. are diminishing. Jon Heyman shut down the speculation.
Nevertheless, it seems the White Sox are open to trading for any player on their roster. Some people anticipate moving Dylan Cease during the offseason. He had a career season two years ago and is still under club control for two more seasons.
Earlier this offseason, Jon Morosi, a well-known figure in MLB, told Chuck Garfien of NBC Sports Chicago that he thought the White Sox would move Robert Jr. before the season.
“I could see anybody [on the White Sox] getting traded,” Morosi said. “When you underachieve by the magnitude that they did, I have a hard time saying these players are untouchable.
“They’re all obviously good major league players, but the composition of them did not work. The whole was much lesser than the sum of the parts for the White Sox in 2023. And when you have that kind of a team, you should have nothing that says these players are off limits.
He also suggested that trading Robert Jr. would allow the White Sox to build their team up more quickly.
“Look at the Twins three or four years ago,” he said. “There was very little indication that they were going to be as good as they are right now, and I think it’s important to keep an eye on those types of clubs and how quickly you can get better.”
The 26-year-old Robert Jr. is valuable and young enough to be optimistic about the White Sox’s competitive future. How does that window appear? After the offseason, that will still need to be determined.
But Robert Jr. has been one of the few spotlights in what the White Sox admit have been a dark couple of seasons between 2022 and 2023. Should the White Sox rid Robert Jr. after flourishing during that time?
In 243 games between the last two seasons, Robert Jr. hit .272 with an impressive .811 OPS. He recorded 50 home runs and 136 RBIs to his name in that time frame, too.
Not to mention, he’s one of the more prolific defenders in the game. His ability to track and hawk the ball in center field is unprecedented. As Getz said, it would take an offer that would have to help the White Sox immediately and in the long term, promisingly, to move off Robert Jr.
Alas, that thought seems short-lived now, according to Heyman.
