With the trade market cooling and Chicago thin in the outfield, all signs point toward Luis Robert Jr. remaining with the White Sox to start the 2026 season.
At the start of the offseason, it felt like we got a new Luis Robert Jr. rumor every day.
From the moment the Chicago White Sox picked up his $20 million club option for the 2026 season, it sparked a chain reaction of debates, rumors, and negotiations.
Teams were calling. The interest was there, just like it was at the 2025 trade deadline. But based on the fact that no deal got done, it’s safe to assume the teams with interest couldn’t bring themselves to meet the asking price set by GM Chris Getz.
And that’s been my take on the Robert Jr. sweepstakes from the beginning.
Contrary to the false narrative spun by the national media, the White Sox were never going to just give Robert Jr. away. They weren’t going to trade him for pennies on the dollar. They had no reason to.
Robert still hits left-handed pitching very well. He’s still an elite defensive center fielder. And he’s still a dangerous baserunner who can wreak havoc on a game.
There is value in that — even if the folks who only look at batting average as a stat can’t comprehend it.
The White Sox have made some exciting moves in free agency, most notably adding Munetaka Murakami to the lineup. So in a year that’s all about taking the next step and getting better, why would Chicago trade one of its high-upside offensive pieces for mid- or low-level prospects?
If someone met the asking price, a deal would get done. But that seemed unlikely given how firm Getz had been — and how much the market had cooled on Robert Jr.
And now, that only seems more true.
The writing is on the wall. Luis Robert Jr. will be the center fielder for the Chicago White Sox in 2026. He will not be traded this offseason. The team will revisit those conversations over the summer.
Since the Winter Meetings, the negotiations have cooled. The Cincinnati Reds seemed like the most logical fit, but they’ve since made two additions to their outfield by signing JJ Bleday and trading for Dane Myers.
The White Sox, on the other hand, have only made minor additions to their outfield — a position group that was already thin. That’s especially true after non-tendering Mike Tauchman earlier in the offseason, leaving the team without a clear starting right fielder.
It’s very possible the White Sox enter 2026 with some combination of Brooks Baldwin, Everson Pereira, and Jarred Kelenic making up a right-field platoon. I’ve seen worse ideas.
But if the White Sox were truly bound to trade Robert Jr., you’d expect them to add a more proven veteran outfielder. Otherwise, they’re running in place.
The organization’s apparent complacency with the current outfield situation — combined with a cooling trade market as teams fill holes in other ways — tells me everything I need to know. A trade is not imminent, and the saga will carry on for another season.