The Chicago White Sox are a disaster, both on the field and in the front office. They are the only team in baseball without at least 30 victories, and their 26-66 record puts them on track for the franchise’s worst season ever. Perhaps strangely, the Chicago White Sox have some of the most in-demand trade market talent, with Garrett Crochet and Erick Fedde being sought after by teams in need of pitching aid. Centre fielder Luis Robert Jr., who will turn 27 in August and is signed to a very team-friendly contract, is the top prize.
Robert’s 119 wRC+ is in line with his lifetime 124, however returning from two months on the IL with a hip flexor strain appears to have hampered his plate discipline in the 36 games he’s played through Sunday’s start. His 33% K-rate raises suspicions at first glance, but he’s showed steady improvement following the first two weeks of re-acclimatization.
It’s clear that when Robert first returned to in-game action, he was brought back too soon, and his swing wasn’t nearly ready. Over the previous two weeks, he’s been much closer to the baseline 26 percent K-rate, which is much more acceptable given his power and speed.
For a team like the Yankees, Robert is an excellent fit. He’s not the MVP-level talent his agency claimed he was when he emigrated, nor is he the Cuban Mike Trout, but he’s a consistent All-Star who would look great hitting fifth in a solid lineup. We’ve seen that Juan Soto and Aaron Judge require a bit more assistance — Robert doesn’t get on base enough to hit in front of them, but having him come up after the now-standard Soto walk/Judge single would be terrifying.
The issue is one of fit and pricing. Robert is a natural centre fielder, even if his arm is more useful than his range. I don’t mind moving Judge out of the centre, but any corner means relegating Verdugo to the bench and dealing with Trent Grisham. Judge then jumps in as the backup CF, or perhaps that fast shot of him fielding ground balls at first is more accurate than we realize.
The pricing issue complicates the fit problem. Robert is under team control until 2025, with $20 million in club options for 2026 and 27. Essentially, whoever obtains Robert will have a four-win centre fielder under contract for three more seasons, and the prospect package required by the Yankees or any other team will be proportional. I’m not sure the Yankees can compete on prospect prices.
The White Sox appear to be moving beyond the “down to the studs” teardown. I believe they will win fewer games than the projected 46 based on their winning percentage, with little hope for improvement. The only hope they have is to receive enormous returns for what on-field talent they do have – there is no pressure to trade Robert this year outside of his personal comfort, so he will only leave the South Side if they are truly impressed by an offer.
Is it worthwhile? Is it worthwhile to gut the farm for 12-15 wins at $17 million per year until 2027? Overall, it’s probably true. Can the Yankees put together a package to do it? That I am less confident in.
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