The Chicago White Sox endured one of the roughest seasons in modern baseball in 2024, ending with 121 losses, the most in American and National League history. Improvement appears unlikely in the near future. Starting pitcher Garrett Crochet has been the subject of trade rumors and is expected to be dealt before the new season begins. However, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, their other key player., is likely to stay put.
During the GM Meetings, Feinsand spoke with White Sox GM Chris Getz, who addressed the situation with Robert. “The market for Luis is challenging given the season he had,” Getz told Feinsand. “He’s incredibly talented. The previous year, he was excellent, but this season, he was hampered by an early injury and wasn’t quite in sync after returning. We place a high value on him. His defensive abilities in center field, power potential, and all-around game would need to be appropriately valued for any trade to make sense.”
This statement indicates that while the White Sox would consider trading Him, they would only do so for a worthwhile return. Though he struggled in 2024, a strong start in 2025 could boost his value, possibly making him attractive to a contending team by September.
White Sox continuing historic tear-down
The Chicago White Sox won the AL Central in 2021, marking back-to-back playoff appearances, and though they fell short, the future seemed promising. However, Tim Anderson struggled, their rotation from that season is no longer intact, and Yoan Moncada didn’t develop into the star they needed.
Following their disappointing 2022 season, they made a notable signing by bringing in Andrew Benintendi on a five-year, $75 million deal—the largest contract in White Sox history, yet still the lowest “biggest” contract across MLB teams. This reflects the White Sox’s hesitation to invest heavily in top players.
Luis Robert, while exceptional when healthy, is likely to require a contract much larger than Benintendi’s. As a result, the White Sox may need to trade him before he hits free agency. He has club options for 2025 and 2026 at $20 million each, becoming a free agent in 2027.
These options might allow the White Sox to delay a decision, but fans worry that even $20 million could be too high, potentially leading to a trade before 2025 ends. If so, they must secure a substantial return for their homegrown talent.
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