Chicago White Sox: Luis Robert contract means a lot to team
The Chicago White Sox signed their top prospect to a three year deal on Thursday. This has huge implications for the team as a whole.
The Chicago White Sox are in a really good spot. The missed the key free agent players last winter and that is great news. They have used the money more wisely now, including giving their top prospect Luis Robert a long term contract. This is great news for the player and the team as they look to turn the corner in 2020. Robert never had to play on a bad White Sox team and hopefully, that remains the case going forward as well.
The number one reason why this is such good news is the player’s availability. This contract assures that the White Sox aren’t going to use the service time rules to their advantage. There is no worry of them holding Robert in AAA for a few weeks to get an extra year of control. They believe the player is going to be good so they just gave him a contract. It is exactly what they did with Eloy Jimenez and it worked out for him. He had to adjust for a few weeks but he figured it out much quicker than he would have if they played the service time game.
There is no reason to believe that the case won’t be the same with Robert. He might have a hard time picking up what MLB pitchers are trying to do with him at first but it won’t be long before he figures them out. Once he does, he could be one of the best hitters in the entire organization. If he is, that would really be something considering that Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Jose Abreu, and Tim Anderson are there as well. He could also just hit the ground running and run away with the rookie of the year or struggle as Moncada did at first. The good news is that he has all the time to figure it out either way.
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Robert can also provide a great defense. The White Sox know that Eloy might never be a gold glove left fielder but Robert could very well be a great defensive centerfielder. He is likely going to be the centerfielder from day one of the season which should really help him. He will know what to do out there with full confidence by mid-April. That is why getting him signed and with the big club as soon as possible is a great move.