When Should the White Sox Trade Luis Robert Jr.?

No team was willing to meet the team’s asking price this offseason, but that could shift quickly with his proof of health and performance. Some teams may grow eager to make a splash as well if they’re not feeling set with the offensive production currently on their roster.

With two more years beyond 2025 of club options at $20 million, the White Sox have the ability to take their time finding value in a deal. However, another injury-riddled season and that seemingly team-friendly contract won’t look all that friendly anymore.

Trying to guess when the move gets made is nearly impossible, but there are options at hand, while the timing will depend on his performance and his health.

Option 1: Sell high now

The White Sox could capitalize on Robert looking good through a week of spring games and try to get a tad more than they would’ve a month ago from a team in need of more offensive juice before the season gets rolling.

This would look something like the Cease deal in which the White Sox jump on an opportunity with a team in need but probably wouldn’t get quite the value fans would be hoping for in a trade.

An already rough lineup without Robert’s talent would be difficult to head into the season with, but could push the farm system towards being the best in baseball.

Option 2: Wait for a strong month or two, then capitalize

This could look similar to the Luis Arraez trade last season, which also involved the Padres, like the Cease deal.

If the White Sox are willing to bet on Robert’s hot start carrying over into the regular season, they could target a contender off to a slow start for a trade. For instance, if a team like the Phillies, with clear World Series aspirations and a need for outfield help, struggles out of the gate, Robert after a strong April could make sense.

However, if Robert struggles out of the gate or worse, gets hurt, this option quickly falls off the table. It’s an ideal scenario, but one less common than the next.

Option 3: Best value possible at the deadline

The most common outcome for clear trade candidates once the season gets rolling is a deal at the deadline that involves as many teams as possible in negotiations.

Robert’s first half would determine what type of return Chicago would get back, but a number of teams would hypothetically be involved here. If he has a big first half and stays healthy, many contenders will want to add a center fielder with potentially two and a half years of control.

But if he gets hurt again, the White Sox may be forced to sell low in order to get whatever value is left rather than picking up his $20 million option for 2026.

The range of outcomes is drastically different in this circumstance, but it does feel more likely than an early deal.

Option 4: Hold until the offseason or beyond…

Maybe the White Sox are surprisingly good and decide Robert is a core piece of the future…yeah it’s not likely but not impossible.

There’s also the chance that Robert struggles enough that his value isn’t high enough to trade for an appropriate price but also isn’t low enough for the White Sox to let him walk. It’s an odd predicament, but one that could happen.

There could be a situation like the Crochet deal, but if Robert has a big season like Crochet did last year, the third option seems more likely, given his track record.

Moving Forward

Trying to time out this trade will not be easy for GM Chris Getz and the rest of the front office, but it does seem like a matter of when, not if, with a few weeks left until the season kicks off.

Imagining this offense without Robert is scary, but the future continues to look brighter, and another couple of talented prospects would help further that.

The most likely outcome is a deadline deal, but that hinges entirely on Robert staying healthy and productive.