While the White Sox have been one of the primary sellers in the deadline market, one of their top trade candidates doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, as reporter Francys Romero (X link) hears from sources that Luis Robert Jr. is “unlikely” to be on the move at this point. MLB.com’s Scott Merkin concurs, and so while an unexpectedly big trade offer might change things before tomorrow’s 5pm CT deadline, odds are Robert will still be in a White Sox uniform on July 31.
Robert missed about two months this season due to a hip flexor strain, and is hitting .201/.242/.440 with 12 homers and 13 steals over 220 plate appearances entering today’s action. With just a 99 wRC+ to show for his production, Robert isn’t exactly putting on a show for potential suitors, so it isn’t surprising that the White Sox might want to hold off until the offseason to reignite any trade talks. If Robert returns to his 2023 form over the season’s final two months, it will do a lot to re-establish his trade value and to help Chicago’s chances at finding a suitable return.
Signed to a six-year, $50MM contract before his MLB career even began, Robert is still something of an unproven quantity as he approaches his 27th birthday, as injuries have limited his full potential. Playing in 145 games last season, Robert hit .264/.315/.542 with 38 homers and finished 12th in AL MVP voting, which provided evidence that Robert can be an elite player when healthy. A more serious hip flexor issue in 2021 and then a variety of injuries in 2022 limited him to 166 games over those two seasons, though he still managed a .307/.344/.486 slash line and 25 home runs in 697 PA, basically delivering the equivalent of one impressive full season.
Beyond Robert’s production on the field, his contractual control adds to his value as a trade chip. He is owed $15MM in 2025, and the White Sox then hold $20MM club options on his services for both 2026 and 2027. This is quite a reasonable price for a player with a superstar ceiling, and thus the Sox could add for a huge trade package to further aid their rebuilding efforts.
Given the potential length of Robert’s deal, the White Sox could even still view him as a contributor to their next winning team, if they feel they’re starting to make headway on a revived roster. Of course, that would require a lot of progress in pretty short order from a 27-81 team that is threatening to deliver one of baseball’s worst-ever seasons, so it might seem like a long shot if the Sox are able to get on track before Robert’s time with the club is over.
Makes sense for the Sox to keep him so he rebuilds his value
If
Robert is a guy with a ton of talent but even when he’s playing well, not somebody you want on your team. He’s clearly a part of the problematic Sux culture. Lackadaisical, uncommitted, showboat, me first type of attitude. Add in the constant injuries because he doesn’t care about taking care of himself for baseball, he just works out to look pretty, and you’ve got a pretty poor package.
Haha what? Some of u guys, I just don’t understand where u come up with this bs. Showboat, when I watch them all the time, when has he been a Showboat? Like he is known for this.
And if he gets hurt again, what does that do to his value?
UGH!
Next you will tell us we are stuck with Moncada, too!
Jerry needs to a face to sell some season tickets. Maybe he’ll get a couple dozen suckers.
Moncada is not going to be back, his contract is ending. ‘The Chairman’ is a lot of things, but he likes when contracts end.
Robert is a good player, to compare him to Moncada is an insult. The bigger issue is lack of coaching and leadership to help Robert hit his potential.
Is it just me or did the Sox return for Fedde, Kopech and Pham seem pretty light? I would have thought they would have got 3 prospects for Fedde alone without adding in Pham and Kopech. That better be a real good PTBNL from the Dodgers. Sorry but I think the Sox got abused for 2 players that are now 13 and 14 on their top 30 list. Since Crochet killed all his value by opening his mouth it now seems Robert and Crochet are here at least until the off season. Sad
I think the current managerial staff is what is sad. Guys like Kopech could easily go somewhere and be a good pitcher with the right tutelage, which just is not going to happen in the White Sox org, with their lowest bottom dollar attitude.
The Sox are so godawful one has to wonder if they are throwing games, and ‘The Chairman’ is just so enfeebled that he does not know that tanking does not get you a good player anymore, heck due to how bad the Sox were last season they cannot even get a top ten pick if I understand correctly.
The death grip we saw for very few good prospects getting traded last offseason continues “so far” this deadline.
Astros and Brewers were reported as very “in on Fedde”. Look at their actions….get not so good Kikuchi and Montas in order to avoid dealing a decent prospect or 2. That tells you any offers they made were quite lowball. My guess is this was the best result by far they’d get even though it looks iffy.
Even Balt trying to pivot to Snell…..b/c they prefer over Skubal….no….b/c Tigers don’t “need” to trade him and insist on either Holliday or Mayo to headline + couple other good farmhands. If a CY favorite with multi years relatively cheap can’t even get buyers to deal top prospects, almost nobody will.
nrd1138
I can’t wait to see when Sox are revelant again to come back & poke you guys in the eyes. Nobody even mentioned the drafting & signing of Hagen Smith not to long ago. But I know when they are winning again you guys will still be hating. Do you even know why they’ll only be no higher than a top 10 pick. Look it up & comeback & explain to us why, please. I know why, but you apparently don’t
If the Sox are relevant again it will be due to having a new owner, and until then, this sad joke of a team. I have been a baseball fan over 40 years and White Sox fan for over 30 years. Experience counts, and over that time I see the same ineptitude and shortcomings that has never changed despite changes at GM down, with the lone exception of the lucky 2005 season when everything happen to click. Also I see why the Sox cannot get the pick higher than 10, but so what? Does that diminish what I said really that this owner is so out of it he probably thinks tanking gets him something better? If anything it just furthers my point about how cheap this guy is. This is a pathetic team (who has a chance to break the MLB record for losses in a season) with a miser owner who has never changed.. everything is bottom dollar with him, EVERYTHING…. I mean you comment like a kid so Im guessing once you get older, you’ll understand, unless you are lucky to see the fossil gone before long.
I also did mention Smith, in that if this miser is still the owner, that kid will show a ton of talent and then be shipped off before Arbitration hits for him because he will not accept the low ball Sox offer to extend him (same with Crochet). Again, if the owner changes a lot of this likely changes, and the overall attitude will change, until ‘the Chairman’ is gone its status quo.
Not surprising considering his 2024 so far. Nobody was going to give up a haul commensurate with his potential peak value at this deadline.
Plenty of control left, let him rebuild his value and shop him again later.
I think that ship sailed a year ago.
I rather see Sox keep Crochet. The guy iphas the making of an elite starter. Why risk losing him to a tackle box full of prospects
Simple, because the owner is cheap and the GM is a lapdog.
I doubt Crochet wanted the moon to extend, and I definitely doubt the Sox made a serious offer to extend him either.
If a team or their fans are primarily interested in winning, this may well be the most overrated, overpublicized player in professional baseball today.
I think this guy is really, really good. I actually think this season is a bad blip.
Agreed…. Phil’s need to make a late run at him…he plays CF and marsh, Casty and hays hold down the corners..
LOL
I doubt DD would touch him with a 10- foot pole.
–
Have you guys actually watched him play?
Not the highlights. In games.
I don’t think DD will touch him either, but yes, I’ve watched him play. Have you not seen Rojas or Austin Hays? Automatic outs. I’d take Robert over them every day of the week. But is Robert worth the cost? I’m not willing to kill DD over not meeting a crazy asking price for a player the White Sox don’t even want to trade.
Yes, and his issue is that he has a bunch of enablers instead of a manager and coaches that know how to coach him up. Never mind the laydown of a season where this org has no accountability
Let teams miss out of Robert, I have a feeling if the Sox get a new manager (and hopefully a new owner that wants to win) that Robert gets far better. We saw what he could do last season, that is not a fluke, that is him. What needs to happen is to get an org that convinces him that the has to work and take the game seriously, which I think would definitely occur with another team, and could occur if the Sox got serious. I think they can reach him before he goes full ‘Moncada’ on the team.
“full Moncada”…hilarious!
I don’t watch him everyday but he was the one guy I hoped the Pirates didn’t go after and were desperate for a bat! Just seems lazy in the series I’ve seen him play. No husltle
if the white sox really do like getting fleeced (Fedde to the cards for nothing) then maybe
robert jr to pirates for nicky g?
unlikey but i mean hey worth a try
I think I’d actually prefer Nick over him.
ah cmon
It’s unlikely because the Phillies will not give up Miller
I wouldn’t be surprised if some team trades for Eloy Jimenez who is defensively challenged as an OF supposedly.
He could be used as a DH and occasional OF, maybe try to work out at 1B in offseason. He is only age 28. FA in 2025
PIT, KC, TOR, StL, BOS, SEA, OAK
Teams with interest might just wait till offseason
Jimenez, Moncada & Benetendi should be DFA’d on Aug 1. Absolutely no point for any of them to take a spot on the 40-man. Eat what’s left and move on cause they’re spoilt as SOX. Robert, though, may be salvageable with the right skipper this offseason. Keep Crochet & promote Santos to Mgr after a AA championship!
It will never happen, ‘the Chairman’ deplores accountability, he just wants fawning adulation in his org. He also detests people who want to win apparently, because winning typically costs money. Its why he has his little lapdog in Getz instead of a GM worth a damn. Its why Grifol is mis-managing his way to the wrong side of history. Its why Thames is still around despite this club being pretty much dead last in every hitting category. Its why Katz is sleeping or staring at his tablet through most of the game instead of going out and helping his beleaguered pitcher on the mound. Its Why the third base coach still has a job despite sending more guys around third to sure outs at home.
If I were the Sox i’d take what I could get now while he is on the field. someone will pay close to mvp candidate value rather than his can’t stay on the field value.
Yeah his value may be the highest it will ever be again if he continues to underperform or be injured.
Robert is a good player, his problem is with the witless inept coaching staff. Get someone in there to maximize his potential and fire him up. Robert’s one thing I notice is, like Jimenez: Both are just looking like they are ‘happy to here’. No fire, no drive, and it mirrors this inept coaching staff they currently have. The Sox need an ass kicker as a manager to bring it to both of these guys to realize it takes hard work everyday to be great, just showing up and being pandered to is not going to work.
Its like I would not be surprised if Kopech goes to the Dodgers and they get him right and he either becomes a great closer or a great starter again. Katz is a dope, and spends more time looking at his iPad than watching his pitchers struggle when they need help..
If Grifol is back next season, expect more of the same, if not worse.
My sentiments exactly. I’ve heard the vets have tuned out Grifol’s ra-ra “let’s work harder” shtick and that the positional players are basically openly defiant bc they’ve been unhappy since Rickey Renteria was canned. The young core loved the guy and played hard for him, only to be replaced by the arrogant, dismissive & obviously over the hill TLR, who couldn’t stay awake & whom nobody liked, including the GM, Rick Hahn.
Broken culture initiated from the Chairman down ruined any chance of the team’s success since the rift between Williams & Guillen. It would take quite a clubhouse genius to fix this problem for the next iteration. However, I do see a glimmer of hope in Birmingham, where that pitching staff is the minor league’s best led by a bulldog & very smart manager Sergio Santos, whom the FO knows and likes. If only he gets promoted to lead the next core.
who wants a .210 hitter that has racked up 81k’s to 42 hits and shows no upside to the season with 15m/20m/20m left to deal with.
He is ready to graduate from the Rob Deer/Dave Kingman of modern baseball hitters
No need to insult Kingman.
Me. Last year was pretty damn good
Sox had Jimenez and Roberts – two budding stars neither have turned the dial — IS it the SOX? that demotivates, pitchers got their scouting card, or is it just the players not willing to play to their A game
Nuts
Although this could also be a mind game with other teams. Not getting the deal you want leak to the media that your going pull him from the market. Sometimes we want things more when not available
I’m not one to question a professional athlete because he’s the pro and I’m the dude in the forums, but watching him swing against Seattle…he looks like a guy who’s given up. Just completely mailed in some of those at bats. Sad to see because he’s so talented.
Eloy should be in bubble wrap for his own safety. The Sox Cuban players got some money and now they can’t stay on the field. Eloy and Moncada have very little value who the Sox can’t wait to get off the books. Offers aren’t pouring in for either. Robert Jr has value however trading for him will be a huge risk, can’t stay healthy and motivation is a question mark. However being on the Sox could suck the life out of anyone
Overrated.
Who would give up anything of value for him at this point?
Please MLB, please remove the White Sox from the league.
The last time MLB threaten to contract a team was in 2001. Twins and formerly the Expos.
Idiot, but I’d suggest relocating both team in Chicago to another state. No big star player will sign in Chicago bc of heath risk. Does anyone remember bullets hitting fans in stadium not to long ago.?
I believe it was somehow determined the fan shot themself with a concealed weapon based on the angle & speed of the shot, although no charges were made.
It’s smart not to sell low on players with huge upsides. Both Robert and Crochet should return much more a year from now.
I don’t see Robert netting a major return any time soon in the current economic climate. The mid-market teams and smaller are keeping its top shelf prospects, especially since 40% make the playoffs. Larger market clubs can take on pricey contracts others want to shed (at least part) to likewise avoid dealing its best internal cheap prospect talent. The easy revenue money from cable going away is changing owners approach-many now getting welfare from mlb with lost revenue from the local broadcast bankruptcies, etc
Anyhow-it’s a tough time to be a “seller”, as until recently it was a great source of building up a farm system.
I think MLB has been struggling over the past 3-5 years now due to clubs assessments of stars talents have been lowered. How some players get the contracts they do for mediocre performance is driving this game to lower viewership. I can name a few if needed, but clubs need to stop paying these players bundles of monet after 1 or 2 years of mediocre at best level of play. Why reward these players before they establish their value?