Contrary to what GM Chris Getz has said, the White Sox already had ample financial flexibility before dumping Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets.
Somewhere between cheers of joy and cries of outrage, every Chicago White Sox fan kept coming back to the same question in the wake of Luis Robert Jr. being traded to the New York Mets:
What are the White Sox going to do with the money?
It’s dishonest to paint the Robert trade as anything more than a salary dump.
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf couldn’t stomach the idea of paying him $20 million, and in an effort to cut payroll, the White Sox offloaded Robert to the Mets — who will take on his entire 2026 salary.
Getting out from under that deal came at a steep cost. When you don’t eat money, you don’t get much in return in terms of prospect capital.
Luisangel Acuña projects best as a utility player off the bench in the big leagues. His offensive profile is difficult to get excited about.
The second piece of the trade, Truman Pauley, has some upside but is more of a throw-in arm — a developmental project for the White Sox to tinker with.
But for those celebrating this trade, it’s less about the players coming in and more about the money going out. Moving Robert’s contract is the reason national media members have praised the White Sox for this transaction.
Others would argue that shedding $20 million of salary means nothing if the White Sox don’t intend to use it to improve the 2026 roster. Chicago still has obvious holes in several areas. The outfield is completely barren, and the pitching staff remains a serious problem. All in all, it’s hard to argue the White Sox are much better now than they were at the end of 2025 — and that’s an issue.
So again, I ask...What are the White Sox going to do with the money?
GM Chris Getz spoke to the media Wednesday morning and indicated that Chicago is prepared to be active after moving on from Robert Jr. and gaining what he called “financial flexibility.”
“In general, I think we are going to be very active,” Getz said in response to a question about whether the outfield is ready for 2026. “We’ve got some financial flexibility now to continue to bring in talent.” (via Scott Merkin)
Getz clarified that he wasn’t specifically referring to the outfield, but to talent additions in general. The organization is clearly selling the idea that moving Robert gives them the ability to keep making moves.
And that’s exactly what White Sox fans wanted to hear.
But it’s still not good enough.
Let me be clear: the White Sox spending money and improving the roster after trading Luis Robert Jr. is the best-case scenario after the deal was made. I’d much rather hear that than watch Getz try to sell the fan base on a laundry list of reclamation projects and internal options.
But we also can’t pretend the White Sox needed to make this trade to add free agents.
Before trading Robert Jr., Chicago’s payroll sat at roughly $87 million. It’s now around $67 million — the lowest payroll in all of baseball.
The White Sox also don’t have a single guaranteed contract extending beyond the 2027 season. Payroll flexibility should be the least of their concerns given what's on the books. As always, though, it’s what they prioritize.
Relocating $20 million from Luis Robert Jr.’s deal is better than the alternative. But the White Sox didn’t need to move him to create room for additions. That restriction is arbitrary — and owner-imposed.
This isn’t the NFL. There’s no salary cap. There’s nothing stopping the White Sox from keeping Robert, paying him $20 million, and spending an additional $20 million to improve the roster elsewhere.
They’d still rank in the bottom 10 in payroll even if they did all that.
I don’t blame Chris Getz for this. He has to work with what he’s given, and as we’ve seen before, it’s not easy when you’re hamstrung by shallow pockets.
But if the White Sox are going to sell this deal as a necessary evil?
I’m sorry — I’m not buying it.