White Sox must retain their Gold Glove-winning OF despite lackluster season

September hasn't been kind to the Chicago White Sox in recent years. Last September, the White Sox set an MLB record of losing the most games (121) in baseball’s modern era. In the final month of the regular season this year, the Sox walk a tightrope of setting a franchise record for the second-most losses in the regular season. Amid this drama lies the question for the club this offseason: Should the organization exercise Luis Robert Jr.’s $20 million club option?

From a payroll perspective, there’s no reason why the Sox shouldn’t exercise Robert’s option. According to Spotrac, Andrew Benintendi is the only player locked in for the 2026 payroll ($17.1M). Several impending free agents are set to come off the books, and the majority of the team is expected to receive low-cost pre-arbitration or arbitration contracts. With the likelihood of the Sox breaking $100 million in payroll and such little money already committed to next year’s roster, Robert’s $20 million doesn’t put the Sox in any financial jeopardy. 

Robert’s veteran presence on the team provides another compelling reason to keep him in Chicago. He has played all six seasons of his career in a South Side uniform and is the last remaining member of the 2020 and 2021 playoff teams. He’s one of the few players, especially among position players, who has played for a postseason team and knows what it takes to succeed. Chicago needs his experience and tenure with the Sox to mentor the rookies and sophomores who are still developing and to serve as the clubhouse leader.

While his 2025 statistics and injury history don’t support it, Robert’s potential is high enough to warrant a $20 million gamble. Two years ago, he was an All-Star, he won the Silver Slugger Award and finished 12th in AL MVP voting. He hit 38 home runs, drove in 80 RBI and stole 20 bases. While he’s nowhere near the home run and RBI counts in 2025, his leap to 33 stolen bases this year can’t be overlooked. Plus, his .549 July slugging percentage indicates there might be enough left in the tank for a comeback season.

Best-case scenario, Robert bounces back, and the Sox keep him around. Worst-case scenario, the Sox deal him at the deadline and get a better return for him than they would’ve this year. Without any salary constraints, banking on Robert to improve next year presents hardly any drawbacks. 

Although Robert’s performance this year doesn’t exactly warrant a $20 million contract next year, overpaying isn’t a crime for the Sox. The real crime would be to remove the face of the franchise and clubhouse leader from a budding team that’s only a year into a rebuild. There are certainly worse things the Sox could do than bring Robert back, but there’s no point in entertaining those options when the reward is substantially bigger than the risk.