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The Chicago White Sox just had the worst season in AL/NL history with 121 losses. They are entering a complete rebuild that should have them in the basement again. On Wednesday. they traded starter Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox for a massive haul of prospects. The White Sox must trade centerfielder Luis Robert Jr to get their rebuild started.
Robert is 27 years old and could have up to three years of team control. With a club option that could keep him in a new place until age 30, he could bring in a massive haul for the White Sox. Trading him is the easiest decision Chris Getz has to make this offseason. When a player has value like Robert and you are entering a rebuild, you have to make the trade.
The issue with Robert is that he is injury-prone. He has played over 100 games only once in his career, 145 in 2023. His 100 games this season is his second-highest total but it was his worst offensive season. It would be a risky trade but so was Crochet and that still landed them four of the Red Sox' top 15 prospects.
Who should the White Sox call to make the Luis Robert trades? The big market team lurking without a big offseason move so far.
White Sox should trade Luis Robert Jr to the Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies faltered in the National League Division Series to the New York Mets. Their strong offensive core fell flat again and they should make trades to fix things. They have a ton of money staked in this roster and should look for a low-cost acquisition to bolster their lineup.
Luis Robert is the perfect fit because the Phillies do not have an entrenched starter in center field. They have a stocked infield and Nick Castellanos in a corner, but nobody to man the middle. Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas were not great in that role last year and would be better served as depth options. The White Sox have this great centerfielder who fits the need of a big-market contender. The move should be made.
The Phillies should also be motivated by the recent moves in their division. The Mets added Juan Soto after beating the Fightins in the playoffs. And the Braves will always be the Braves, even after losing Max Fried. While Robert is not Soto, adding him can at least close the gap between Philly and New York.
In this situation, the Phillies would pick up the club options for 2026 and 2027. They can send big prospects to the White Sox and make sure they keep Robert around for a longer time. Teams may be hesitant to trade for one-year rentals after the Yankees lost out on Soto. Philly would not want to fall into that trap and start a three-year relationship with Robert.
Who would the Phillies send over?
When assessing what the White Sox will ask for, you have to look at their haul from the Garrett Crochet trade. They picked up a catcher, Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth, and pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez. That is a fairly diverse haul, so they can ask for anything from the Phillies.
Johan Rojas would be a great first piece to go over. He is a young player working to find his legs in the pros. At some point, the White Sox need an MLB-caliber player. Rojas can be that. Griffin Burkholder is a 6-foot-2 outfielder who should be the centerpiece of this deal. Mick Abel is an MLB-ready pitcher and he could be the big piece that pushes this deal over the edge.
