Chicago White Sox: latest acquisition could signal the end of the road for this premier player

The 27-year-old is coming into camp with the question of whether he can bounce back from last season after dealing with injuries and his offensive numbers being down. Robert Jr. played in 100 games last season, the White Sox centerfielder slashed 224/.278/.379 for an OPS and OPS+ of .657 and 87, and was a 1.4 WAR player.

The White Sox have spent all offseason searching for a suitor to trade Robert Jr. to, and they almost had a deal with the Cincinnati Reds until it all fell through. Teams may wait to see how Robert Jr. fares in the first few games in camp or even the first couple weeks of the regular season before making any move.

The White Sox brought in competition

The White Sox recently signed outfielder Michael A. Taylor to a one-year deal which signals that a trade could be coming soon. Currently, the options in center field for the ChiSox are Robert Jr., Taylor, and Dominic Fletcher.

If the White Sox traded Robert Jr., a platoon situation between Taylor and Fletcher could occur, with Fletcher getting most of the at-bats. Fletcher has more offensive upside than Taylor but is on par with him defensively.

Fletcher played 72 games last season for the White Sox, and Fletcher hit .206/.252/.256 for an OPS and OPS+ of .508 and 47. These numbers should hopefully increase with the extra at-bats Fletcher should get this season.

Big things are coming for the White Sox

With camp officially open, the White Sox can begin a new season and forget about being the worst team of all time last season.

Coming in fresh, the White Sox have a ton of young and hungry prospects. All of whom should bring excitement and optimism to White Sox fans.

Hopefully, the ChiSox can start things on the right foot and have a better start to the season with all their guys coming into camp healthy and ready to go.