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White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. can’t believe he hasn’t been traded

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Christopher Hennessy | Last updated Mar 26, 2025 5:40 PM ET

Opening Day is usually full of optimism and hope across Major League Baseball. Except if you are a Chicago White Sox fan. After a historic 121-loss season last year, they traded Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox. After seeing that move, many assumed that White Sox centerfielder Luis Robert Jr would be the next player traded. He even thought he was going to start this year on a new team, per Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times.

“Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on if he expected to still be on the White Sox roster: ‘Honestly, no.’”

A story broke before spring training that the White Sox and Cincinnati Reds were close on a Robert trade. But Cincy wanted Chicago to retain more salary on the deal. The financials killed the deal that would have included two of the Reds’ top ten prospects.

The Phillies need a centerfielder, the Mariners desperately need a bat, the Yankees needed to replace Juan Soto, and the Astros were looking to replace Kyle Tucker. But the White Sox did not trade Robert, bringing him into a season with no expectations. They have to trade him to get the most out of the asset and help accelerate their rebuild.

The White Sox must trade Luis Robert Jr. this season

Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits an RBI single during the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Robert has an incredible ceiling, shown in his 2021 and 2023 seasons. In 68 games in 2021, he had an incredible .338 batting average and .946 OPS. But he got hurt that year, which has been the story of his career. Robert has only played 100 games twice in his five-year career. His 145-game 2023 campaign ended with 38 homers, 80 RBIs, and the Silver Slugger.

This is the final year before a club option in Robert’s contract. The White Sox should not be paying him $20 million next season as their rebuild starts to turn the corner. It will be quicker for them to trade him for multiple pieces than to try and build a competitive team around Robert. This is the season to trade him, and there should be plenty of offers.

The Reds are the obvious fit for Robert. Their pipeline is great, but it does not have outfield depth. Their offseason addition of Austin Hays is not going to get them over the hump. But Cincinnati is not in the business of spending money, and the White Sox want to shed as much of the contract as possible.

Robert and many fans are surprised that he is still on the White Sox. He should not be for long with another brutal season ahead.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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