Why it makes sense for the Chicago White Sox to not trade Luis Robert Jr.
By Todd Welter
The Chicago White Sox are rumored to be willing to trade their best pitcher but they will not be trading their best player anytime soon.
General manager Chris Getz needs to be focused on trading everyone on this roster who a team calls about and is willing to give a good return to jump-start a sorely needed rebuild.
The general manager did a good job of turning Aaron Bummer into five players. Even if it is reclamation players and failed high draft picks, he acquired a player like pitcher Michael Soroka who could have a bounce-back season.
The next trade asset to flip is Dylan Cease although Getz confirmed at the MLB Winter Meetings that he is not in a rush to move his top pitcher.
Getz: "There’s certainly no urgency to move Dylan Cease. And just like I’ve said from the beginning, if there’s an opportunity to help our club both near term and long term, we’ll look at it. But we’re talking about one of the best pitchers in baseball."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 4, 2023
Even though he can be patient with Cease’s market, Getz needs to trade him.
He only has two years left of club control, and he is a Scott Boras guy. That means he is not likely to sign an extension and he is going to seek a lot more money in free agency that the Sox will be willing to pay him.
That is why this might be the right time to move Dylan since his trade value might be at its highest right now. Then again, he could have a great first half in 2024 and be moved for a good return before the in-season trade deadline.
Some in the White Sox world are also hoping he trades his best player, Luis Robert Jr.
Getz shot down any notion of his All-Star being traded this offseason.
Chris Getz on the likelihood of Sox trading Luis Robert Jr.:
— Vinnie Duber (@VinnieDuber) December 4, 2023
“Luis Robert is a very difficult player to move and expect that your club is going to get better because of it. … I have a tough time seeing him wearing another uniform next year.”
Keeping Luis Robert Jr. is a good idea.
Yes, Robert Jr. would bring a massive haul if he were moved now. He is on a team-friendly contract that goes through 2027.
He would have won AL MVP had Shohei Ohtani not existed, and the Sox not lost 101 games.
His slash line in 2023 was .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs and a wRC+ of 128. He finished with a 5 fWAR and a 22.2 offensive fWAR.
Robert Jr. reached his immense potential since he was finally healthy for an entire season.
He is only going to get better as he is still 26. He will be on the Southside through his prime performance years.
That is a big reason to keep him even if the Chicago White Sox might not be competitive for the next two seasons.
There is still the chance to get things turned around before 2026 when he will still have two seasons left on his deal.
Plus, he fits the style of play manager Pedro Grifol wants to have on the field with his tremendous defensive ability.
Pedro Grifol said Sox “played a game that doesn’t win in the big leagues. We need to play faster. We need to be more athletic. We need to catch the baseball. And we’ve got to do things a little better fundamentally.” Said Sox are “on the hunt” for players who can play that style.
— Vinnie Duber (@VinnieDuber) December 4, 2023
Grifol might not manage beyond 2024, but you can bet Getz will still be around and want an athletic team.
The other reason to keep him is the club needs someone people will want to come out and watch. Make no mistake about it, this team is going to be bad next season. That does not mean everyone on the team has to be awful.
We still had Jose Abreu to watch during the last failed rebuild. The hope is Robert Jr. becomes a franchise legend like Abreu did and then the Chicago White Sox can be good enough down the road to get him back into the playoffs.
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