It’s not yet May, but that hasn’t stopped the rumors from beginning to flow in regarding what teams are going to do at the Trade Deadline at the end of July. And, perhaps as no surprise, the White Sox find themselves in the mix as a clear seller – though the extent of how far they’ll sell remains to be seen.
However, should they decide to really tear everything down further, according to a recent appearance from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Luis Robert Jr. could be on the move. Passan recently appeared on a Seattle radio show – Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk – and stated that the Mariners could soon begin to look for ways to improve their offense, listing Robert Jr. among the potential options.
Passan’s inclusion of Robert Jr. is interesting, though unsurprising. With the White Sox far from contention and Robert with three cost-controlled years on his deal remaining, the time becomes to figure out whether or not Robert Jr. can fit into a potential contention window for the White Sox (assuming an extension is off the table). The Mariners, as Passan points out, have an incredibly strong farm system that would allow them to find help for their ailing offense from around the league:
I think once the Orioles’ prospects graduate [past prospect status], and they still got a few of them left, there’s an argument to be made that the position-playing prospects in the Mariners organization are the best in Major League Baseball. And so if you want to win now, guys, [trading from the farm system is a] pretty good way to go out and do it.”
Jeff Passan (via Brock and Salk)
The 26-year-old Robert is working his way back from a hip flexor strain suffered in early April, and appears to be nearing game speed and an eventual rehab assignemtn. Last year, he slashed .264/.315/.542 for an .857 OPS with 38 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
“I understand you’ve got a center fielder already [Julio Rodríguez], but Luis Robert is the impact of impact-type players, and a guy who’s under contract for multiple years, too.”
Jeff Passan (via Brock and Salk)
The long-term Rodriguez deal in Seattle is the easiest way by which to throw cold water over this entire idea, but given Robert’s injury history and the Mariners’ inability to find a strong complementary outfield piece to Rodriguez, the idea seems less crazy than perhaps initially discussed.
It is unclear what Luis Robert Jr’s asking price would be. Robert is under contract through the 2025 season at $15M, with team-friendly club options of $20M available for both 2026 and 2027. Only time will tell, however, if the White Sox plan to use these years to help their team for the now or for the future via the haul in return.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
