“Not only has he been a demonstrably worse hitter, his center-field defense also has plateaued. This is the ultimate change-of-scenery candidate, though with a club option for $20 million in 2026 and 2027, teams could treat Robert as more of a rental than long-term solution,” Jeff Passan wrote for ESPN. “With a turnaround, he could well earn it.”
Robert has survived with the White Sox, while several of his former teammates have left town via trades or free agency. Chicago has gone through nightmare after nightmare the last few years, with the team facing another 100-loss season if things don’t change.
The White Sox currently hold a 7-22 record.
Luis Robert Jr. is likely on the move from the White Sox
Robert is seen as possibly the centerpiece of this year’s free agency talks. There are several teams linked to the player, including the New York Mets. That’s partly due to the fact that Robert worked out this offseason with Mets slugger Juan Soto.
The Philadelphia Phillies are also in play. While Robert has said he expects to be traded, Chicago has held on to him as long as they could.
It appears that Robert’s stock might be drifting down. This is due to his poor offensive play the last year or so.
Related Chicago White Sox NewsArticle continues below
“The White Sox held onto Robert this winter figuring his value had reached its nadir and that they could rebuild it and move him at the trade deadline,” Passan wrote.
This season, Robert has just nine RBIs and four home runs. That continues a frustrating trend. Last year, the outfielder mustered just 35 RBIs in nearly 400 total at-bats. As a result, Chicago lost more than 120 games.
The White Sox slugger did hit a home run in a loss on Tuesday to the Milwaukee Brewers. Robert also collected a stolen base for a team that got buried 7-2 by Milwaukee.
Robert believes he is making too many mistakes at the plate.
“If I’m getting walks, I’m not swinging at pitches that are out of the strike zone, right? Then why is my offense not producing? Why am I not hitting the way that I can?” Robert said through an interpreter, per MLB.com. “I think it’s because I’ve been missing their mistakes.
“That’s the only explanation I can find right now. Once I start punishing those pitches, my offense is going to be good.”
Chicago hosts the Brewers again on Wednesday.
