Given their disastrous 2024 season, a Luis Robert trade is certainly on the table for the Chicago White Sox this summer. It’s worth noting that Robert has team options that could keep him in Chicago through the 2027 season.
That’s why he’s not among the obvious White Sox trade candidates this summer. But that doesn’t mean trading him is out of the question.
Should the White Sox Trade Luis Robert or Not
Even with more than a month until the trade deadline, several teams have expressed interest in Robert. That is part of what is forcing the White Sox to make a decision. He’ll also be one of the more appealing trade deadline candidates in baseball if the White Sox make him available.
Let’s take a look at Chicago’s quandary from every angle and determine if a Luis Robert trade is the right move or not.
The Situation
As mentioned, Luis Robert’s contract potentially runs through the 2027 season. He’s making $12.5 million this season and will make $15 million in 2025.
After that, the White Sox have club options for both the 2026 and 2027 seasons. If exercised, he would make $20 million in each of those seasons. But if the White Sox decline the 2026 option, he would become a free agent following the 2025 season.
Reasons to Trade Him
The obvious reason to trade Robert this summer is because the White Sox are going nowhere. Given the season they’ve had, it’ll be a struggle for the White Sox to get things turned around next season. If paying him $20 million in both 2026 and 2027 seems too much, now is the time to trade him since he won’t be a rental player, allowing Chicago to get more back in a trade for him.
Despite some uneven numbers this year after spending nearly two months on the IL, Robert has proven to have plenty of power in his bat. He was also an all-star last year and is a former Gold Glove winner, so the White Sox could surely attract interest on the trade market if they were to make him available. That could allow Chicago to get some quality prospects back for him and accelerate the club’s rebuilding process.
Reasons to Keep Him
Since he’s under team control through the 2027 season, the White Sox have to consider the possibility of keeping Robert. Even if this year and next year are lost seasons, if Chicago can get back to being competitive by 2026, it might be worth keeping Robert. As a 26-year-old who is coming off a year in which he was an all-star and a Silver Slugger winner, he’s the type of player the White Sox could build around.
Based on some of the contracts all-star caliber players are getting on the free-agent market, paying Robert $20 million per year in 2026 and 2027 isn’t that outrageous. The White Sox could also run the risk of not getting full value for him if they trade him right now.
Robert missed two months earlier this year with an injury and hasn’t had a chance to settle in and perform to the level he’s capable of playing. If he ends up having a strong second half, his trade value this winter could be higher than it is right now. For a team trading for him, it’d be akin to signing a free agent to a three-year, $55 million deal, which is a bargain if Robert is anywhere close to an all-star level.
The Verdict
The reality is that if the White Sox get a good offer for Robert, they shouldn’t hesitate to trade him. Chicago’s farm system is middle of the pack at best and it’ll likely take at least two or three more years for the White Sox to become bonafide playoff contenders. That means trading Robert to help the farm system and accelerate the rebuild process.
Fortunately, the White Sox have the luxury of waiting until the offseason to trade him if Robert doesn’t perform well between now and the trade deadline. They don’t have to force themselves to accept a lackluster trade proposal. However, the White Sox should definitely be willing to listen to any trade offers for Robert.
