Chris Getz shuts down trade rumors, reaffirming the White Sox plan to keep Luis Robert Jr. in center field for 2026.
White Sox “Not Shopping” Outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
When the 2025 trade deadline passed, the biggest story on the South Side wasn’t about what the White Sox did—it was what they refused to do.
Chicago held onto center fielder Luis Robert Jr., the 2023 All-Star whose prime has been interrupted repeatedly by injuries. After launching 38 home runs and flashing MVP-caliber upside in 2023, Robert’s last two seasons have been the worst of his career. He hit just .224 with a .657 OPS in 2024, effectively tanking any meaningful trade value.
The hope inside 35th and Shields was simple: a strong first half in 2025 might restore his market and help jump-start the rebuild with a haul of real prospects. Instead, by early July, Robert was back on the injured list with a .185 average, eight home runs, and a .584 OPS. He looked more like a cautionary tale than a trade chip.
While he finally started to resemble his old self after returning just before the All-Star break, no team was going to part with premium prospects for a two-year slump and a dream of recapturing past form. No one was paying $20 million for 2026 to chase hope.
But White Sox fans could already see where this was headed.
Chicago wasn’t ready to trade Robert for pennies on the dollar, and they weren’t ready to let him walk in free agency either—not with payroll flexibility and an outfield depth chart lighter than a spring-training split squad.
So the Sox picked up Luis Robert Jr.’s $20 million club option for 2026, keeping him in the fold for another shot at rebuilding his value. For anyone truly paying attention, this was the least surprising move of the offseason.
Maybe a fully healthy offseason helps. Maybe new hitting coach Derek Shomon can clean up the inconsistencies and help Robert unlock more consistent contact. And while trade-machine GMs on social media have forced him into half the mock trades floating around this winter, White Sox GM Chris Getz made one thing abundantly clear during his media availability this week:
The White Sox are not shopping Luis Robert Jr.
“It’s very truthful that we are not shopping him, because we’re very comfortable having him in a White Sox uniform, knowing what he’s capable of doing. Now if it makes sense for both parties to work out a deal, then so be it,” Getz said. “But we’re planning on him being in uniform for us next year.” — via Scott Merkin, MLB.com
Again: if the Sox weren’t comfortable with Robert as their everyday center fielder in 2026, they wouldn’t have picked up his option and committed $20 million. The trade market is what it is. Mid-tier prospects aren’t worth selling off this much upside, and there’s no sign any team is suddenly willing to meet Getz’s price.
Chicago reportedly wanted at least two Top 10 prospects from a team’s system—including a Top 100 prospect—to even start the conversation on a Robert deal. If someone meets that ask, great. But who’s paying that right now?
I’ll plant the flag: Luis Robert Jr. will be in the White Sox lineup on Opening Day 2026. And here’s the kicker—Chicago still won’t be forced to move him at next year’s deadline. There’s another $20 million club option for 2027. If he’s producing and the White Sox are more competitive than expected, the front office may decide keeping one of their most gifted players is part of the solution, not a problem to offload.