Who should the White Sox trade?

The Chicago White Sox had the worst season in modern MLB history in 2024. They lost 121 games and traded away their best starting pitcher Garrett Crochet this offseason. They did well picking up prospects in that move but their roster is not ready for competition yet. They should continue to shed valuable pieces to boost their prospect pipeline. The White Sox could fully focus on rebuilding by sending Luis Robert Jr out in a trade.

The White Sox don’t have many valuable pieces left on their roster after the firesale of last year. They sent Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to the St Louis Cardinals, Eloy Jiminez to the Baltimore Orioles, and Yoan Moncada as a free agent. They did not get much out of those players, but it helped lay the foundation for the Crochet additions. The prospect haul that Robert brings back will set them up for the future.

Robert is an elite centerfielder when healthy, which is unfortunately rare. He has played 100 games only twice in his career, hitting the number exactly last year and 145 in 2023. He did play 56 games in 2020, which was only a 60-game season. That may scare some teams away but his production when on the field should attract contenders.

The Philadelphia Phillies have not filled the centerfield hole that cost them in the playoffs. Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas were not a good enough combination to win in October so they should make this trade. They have prospects that will interest the White Sox, like pitchers Andrew Painter and Mick Abel.

But the Phillies will not be alone in the race for Luis Robert Jr. The White Sox should be pushing Robert to every contender with an outfield hole. Who is the best fit?

The White Sox should start a bidding war for Luis Robert Jr

When the White Sox were trading Garrett Crochet, they made it well-known he was available. His trade deadline requests about contract extensions and starting guarantees forced him to stay with Chicago for the rest of the season. That just drummed up the discussion even more and helped them land four top-15 prospects. That discussion should start now with Robert.

The Phillies would be interested but so should the Pittsburgh Pirates. They desperately need offense to help supplement their great young pitching. And that great young pitching should make the Pirates a fascinating trade partner for the White Sox. Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, Thomas Harrington, Anthony Solomento, and Hunter Braco are the pitchers in their top ten.

While Robert does not have trade protection, he could do the same thing Crochet did and make requests that make it hard to go to a non-contender. The Pirates are not a World Series contender yet, but the Baltimore Orioles should be in a weak American League. If they make a trade from their deep prospect pipeline, it could make them AL East favorites.

There should be plenty of teams lining up for a shot at Robert this offseason. Considering the White Sox got an infielder, outfielder, pitcher, and catcher from the Red Sox, they should be willing to take the best prospects from any team. That is why the Orioles should be a partner they key in on as their pipeline is among the best in the league.

There is very little hope for the 2025 White Sox and Luis Robert Jr is one of the few players worth showing up for. But it is in the best interest of the franchise to trade him before the season starts.

Why should Luis Robert Jr be on the move? 

The White Sox will not be competitive for the World Series in Luis Robert Jr’s prime. He is already 27 and has a club option in 2026. Their rebuild only makes sense if they acquire the best prospects offered to them as soon as possible. They do not have many great players on their team, hence the 121 losses, but Robert is one of them.

There is no shortage of teams that should add Luis Robert Jr and the White Sox should trade him. The question is whether they do it before Spring Training or ahead of the trade deadline this summer.