Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. was rumored to potentially be traded at the MLB trade deadline. The White Sox have not been a contending baseball team over the last few seasons.
Chicago needed to trade Robert at the MLB trade deadline to a contender and get back prospects for him in order to replenish the farm system. Well, White Sox general manager Chris Getz for some reason did not trade him at the deadline. The White Sox could opt-out of Robert's contract once the 2025 MLB season ends.
MLB Writer Predicts That the Chicago White Sox Will Lose OF Luis Robert Jr. in Free Agency
Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report wrote about one key player on each MLB team who will either re-sign or be let go in the offseason. Well, Kelly believes that the White Sox are going to opt-out of Robert's contract this offseason and not re-sign him. He said about the White Sox potentially making this critical decision,
"Even for a team without a ton of financial commitments moving forward, the White Sox can't justify picking up the $20 million player option on an injury-plagued player who has a .660 OPS since the start of the 2024 season.
He's still only 28, so the team declining his option might be the best thing that could happen for the former All-Star."
If Chicago were to pick up his club-option for the 2026 MLB season, they would also have that option for the 2027 MLB season as well. There is a world where Robert could become a free agent after the 2027 MLB season, but there is a greater chance that the White Sox cut ties with him sooner.
In 110 games with the White Sox in 2025, he has a .223 batting average with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs, along with 33 stolen bases and eight caught stolen bases. His on-base percentage is .297. Robert has played for the White Sox since the 2020 MLB season.
If Chicago decided not to keep Robert, teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets will no doubt be interested in signing him this offseason. The White Sox could have traded Robert to either of those ball clubs this year and gotten prospects in return for him. Instead, Chicago is going to regret letting him walk in the offseason and not getting anything in return for him.