Chicago White Sox GM Reveals Plans For Luis Robert Jr. In 2026

Robert struggled at the plate from Opening Day through June 30, slashing .185/.270/.313/.584 –– which would all be career-low numbers in a full season –– and totaling eight home runs, 32 RBIs, 29 walks and 88 strikeouts in 285 plate appearances. However, he still provided some value with stole 22 bases and strong center field defense as the White Sox waited for his bat to come around.

As the trade deadline approached and Robert became a topic of conversation, he put together by far the best month of his season. In July, he slashed .353/.441/.549/.990 with three home runs, 11 RBIs, five stolen bases, seven walks and 10 strikeouts in 59 plate appearances.

Teams made an effort to acquire Robert at the deadline, but Getz didn't think offers equated to the value the former All-Star and Gold Glove winner can provide.

So the next question became whether the White Sox would pick up Robert's $20 million option for the 2026 season, or buy him out for $2 million and let him become a free agent.

"We anticipate him being here, we do. If we felt otherwise, maybe we go a different course," Getz said on July 31.

And since then, Getz's messaging regarding Robert has been consistent.

"We are committed to Luis," Getz maintained on Aug. 27. "... He can be such a boost to this lineup and this team, and that’s why we are talking about it today because he's missed."

"Injuries are part of the game. They have unfortunately been part of his history. I think he’s played in about 110 games this season. And he’s really risen in terms of the impact on this team and the league. And a lot of that quality work happened in this second half window. For what he’s capable of doing, the talent, the impact he can have on this club, we like having Luis Robert here."

With nine games left in the 2025 season, the White Sox likely won't have Robert the rest of the way due to the hamstring injury. That'd mean he'd finish with a .661 OPS, the second-lowest mark of his career behind 2024's .657 –– a steep decline from his 2023 All-Star season at .857.

Moving forward, the White Sox will hope Robert's second half of 2025 is more indicative of what's to come than his first half, as they construct the team around him and several emerging rookies. They've lost six straight games, and at 57-96, they're at risk of a third straight 100-loss season.

As the rebuild continues, Getz reiterated his commitment to Robert, but said Wednesday it was a bit too early to state how he'll approach the offseason in regard to free agency.

"We’ll look at the free agent market. If it makes sense and we match up, then we will go ahead and do that," Getz said. "What’s really going to drive this are the players that are currently in our uniform. If there are opportunities to supplement this group and continue to drive this forward, we are going to go ahead and do that."