Chicago White Sox's Asking Price For All-Star Outfielder Luis Robert Jr. Revealed

Luis Robert Jr. has been caught up in trade rumors all offseason long, but rival executives apparently think the Chicago White Sox are asking for too much in return.

Jul 24, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a home run during the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Chicago White Sox could be in for a busy winter, as Garrett Crochet might not be the only All-Star getting shipped out of town.

The Athletic's Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal shared a handful of updates on the MLB offseason at large on Monday, addressing storylines in free agency and the trade market alike. They even broke down what the White Sox plan to do with center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who has been at the center of trade rumors all offseason long.

Chicago's general manager, Chris Getz, didn't dismiss the notion of a potential Robert trade last month, and things are sure to heat up with the Winter Meetings about to get underway in Houston. Last week, a report surfaced that the White Sox would "love to" trade Robert.

However, it may be a while before they get any takers on the Cuban slugger.

"I don't think they understand what his value is," an anonymous big league executive told The Athletic.

Another source told the Athletic that Chicago's front office does not believe they are overreaching, instead claiming that teams are trying to get "something for nothing." The White Sox aren't even asking for multiple prospects, per the report, only a "meaningful piece."

That seems like a reasonable asking price on the surface, considering the flashes Robert has shown in recent years. On the other hand, the 27-year-old has appeared in an average of just 103 games a year post-COVID, and he comes along with a $15 million price tag for 2025.

Robert burst onto the scene in 2020, winning a Gold Glove and finishing second the AL Rookie of the Year voting. He continued to show promise over the next few seasons, only for various hip, groin, head and wrist injuries to limit him to 68 games in 2021 and 98 games in 2022.

It took until 2023 for Robert to break out for real, as he finally made his first All-Star Game and participated in the Home Run Derby. Robert won a Silver Slugger Award and finished 12th in the AL MVP race after batting .264 with 38 home runs, 80 RBI, 20 stolen bases, an .857 OPS and a 5.0 WAR in 145 games.

However, the injury bug came back to haunt Robert in 2024. He suffered a right hip flexor strain in early April, and he remained out of the lineup until June 4.

Robert appeared in 100 games for Chicago this past season, batting .224 with 14 home runs, 35 RBI, 23 stolen bases, a .657 OPS and a 1.4 WAR. For his career, the outfielder has averaged 31 home runs, 85 RBI, 24 stolen bases, 5.4 defensive runs saved and a 4.8 WAR per 162 games.

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