The Chicago White Sox have shown some signs of life recently. After a ghastly 3-22 start, they have gone 10-8, picking up a series sweep over the Tampa Bay Rays and a series win over the Cleveland Guardians and St. Louis Cardinals.
While it is nice to see the team playing more competitive baseball, and hopefully avoiding the all-time loss record, the Chicago White Sox aren’t going anywhere this season. It feels a matter of when, not if, they begin selling off some of their veteran pieces.
One of the players who could be on the move ahead of the trade deadline is star outfielder Luis Robert Jr. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com recently did a poll with 24 MLB executives, asking who they believe is the top trade candidate this season.
Only five players received more than one vote during the exercise. Robert was one of them, as the executives believed it would be in the best interest of the team to get a deal done centered around him now rather than later.
“The White Sox need to cash in on Robert sooner rather than later once he returns from injury,” an NL exec said to Feinsand.
“The White Sox have been hesitant to move [Robert] to this point, but the way this year has started for them may make them realize they’re farther away than they thought,” the executive said. “He’s one of the few viable trade chips they have remaining.” (H/T Heavy)
A hip flexor injury has limited Robert to only seven games thus far this season. That is a major reason the Chicago White Sox have struggled so much, as they aren’t positioned to overcome the loss of their best hitter for an extended period of time.
But, teams around the league know how talented of a player Robert is. In 2023, he had a true breakout, setting career highs in several categories. His 38 home runs, 80 RBI and 20 stolen bases were all single-season bests.
That resulted in his first career All-Star nomination and he took home the Silver Slugger award as well. Turning only 27 in August, Robert is normally the kind of player a team would want to build around. But, given the current state of the Chicago White Sox, trading him for assets makes some sense as they aren’t close to contention.
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