The White Sox wouldn't really do this, would they?
White Sox Projected to Make Stunning Luis Robert Jr. Trade Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
At long last, Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. looks like his old All-Star self.
The problem, both for Robert and the White Sox, is that his return to form might be a little too late.
Robert, who turns 28 on August 3, is hitting .364 with two homers, eight RBIs, and a 1.023 OPS in 10 July games. He’s reaching base at a .447 clip, and he’s stolen three bases on a White Sox team that is quietly only six wins from passing last year’s total.
One would naturally think that Robert getting hot ahead of the trade deadline bodes well for all parties. Robert could join a contender, the White Sox can get at least one semi-valuable asset in return, and Robert’s next club can tell themselves that they’re getting a promising slugger with two years of team control remaining.
However, a group of MLB reporters from The Athletic — beat writers Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon, and Katie Woo, along with noted MLB insider Ken Rosenthal — have a radically different idea: the White Sox could keep Robert and pick up his $20 million option for payroll reasons.
The Athletic added that two teams made “aggressive attempts” to acquire Robert last week, but the White Sox didn’t like the packages.
The idea of Chicago keeping Robert isn’t necessarily surprising given his season-long struggles. Robert entered Wednesday batting .206 with 10 homers, 40 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, and a .636 OPS for the last-place White Sox.
However, if there was ever a time for Chicago to trade Robert, it’s right now. Robert’s strong July should force at least one team — the Philadelphia Phillies or New York Mets, perhaps? — to roll the dice and bring in Robert for a playoff push. It doesn’t make sense to keep Robert if teams are willing to take him and his contract off the White Sox’s hands.
Only eight days remain until the trade deadline, and we’ll see which uniform Robert is wearing come Chicago’s August 1 showdown with the Los Angeles Angels.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
