ESPN must stop making it seem impossible for the White Sox to trade Luis Robert Jr.

ESPN wants you to forget the Chicago White Sox won the 2005 World Series, and now they want you to think it will be almost impossible to trade Luis Robert Jr.

The four-letter network's Buster Olney is reporting that "it is unlikely" the White Sox trade the former All-Star centerfielder because of his struggles at the plate.

Olney is correct in saying that Robert Jr. has underperformed and has been injured this season. Even with a recent hot stretch at the plate, his average is at .206, and his wRC+ is still nearly a quarter below the league average of 100.

Robert's first half was so bad that the Athletic's Jayson Stark labeled him the "least valuable player" in baseball for the first half. Robert Jr. has also had a traditional 10-day IL stint this season, even though it didn't last too long.

Other media members like Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel put the chances of trading Luis Robert Jr. at 50% percent. They too believe it will be a tall task.

""Robert has been extremely unlucky with ball-in-play results this season, but that has begun to turn around recently. He remains a strong defender and baserunner, with a career-high 24 steals already. But the .201/.289/.342 line is unsightly, and his trade value has cratered over the past two seasons. He has a pair of $20 million-a-year club options that an acquiring team would be hesitant to exercise absent a turnaround. Finding a match with a team willing to give up more for Robert's upside rather than his productivity could be challenging.""

Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel

Passan's latest report provided a little bit more detail about why he thinks Robert Jr's trade market is in limbo.

"Robert's surge over the last week has impressed scouts and defibrillated his trade value, which for most of the season had cratered. The White Sox don't want to move him for a reduced return, though, which leaves the outfielder in trade limbo. He won't fetch what he would have two years ago; he also isn't the sort of player a team deals for a middling prospect. The upside is too palpable."

Jeff Passan

These talented writers are missing some major points

One thing being overlooked here is that a lot of teams are reportedly checking in with the White Sox on Luis Robert Jr.

New York Post and Audacy baseball insider Jon Heyman has reported eight teams have checked in. The Athletic's Jim Bowden, who was the former GM of the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, has also reported that there is heavy interest in Robert Jr. (subscription required).

USA Today's Bob Nightengale, who is well-sourced within the White Sox organization, reported that the likelihood of the White Sox trading Luis Robert Jr. was "just about 100 percent."

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf even appears ready to eat some salary to get rid of Robert Jr. for an ideal return.

But for some reason, ESPN is still rolling with the narrative that Luis Robert Jr. is untradable and no team would touch him with a 10-foot pole. Maybe they're still operating with the assumption that general manager Chris Getz is clinging to his unrealistically high asking price from the offseason.

What's the White Sox asking price?

If Getz is still seeking two Top 5 prospects from his potential trade partner, then Olney, Passan, and McDaniel are correct in saying it's unlikely the Sox find a trade partner. But I don't think Chris Getz is asking for a lot at this stage.

Nightengale makes it sound like the White Sox are willing to take whatever they can get. According to a recent report in The Athletic (subscription required), the team is just hoping he can have a few more good games to possibly bring back something a bit better.

The White Sox need to have some standards. They should definitely try to get more than what the team got for Eloy Jimenez at last year's trade deadline (minor league reliever Trey McGough, who retired).

But there's a perfect example. If an oft-injured, non-slugging Eloy Jimenez can get traded, then truly anyone can get dealt.

The White Sox should be able to get something viable for Robert if they do eat some of his remaining salary and cover the cost of his buyout. He still can provide value to a contender with his skill set.

Robert Jr. still can hit home runs. He has 10 on the season, along with 25 steals, and a .299 batting average against lefties. He is a three outs above average centerfielder with a Gold Glove Award to his name.

The New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and San Diego Padres all could roll the dice on Robert Jr. at the cost of some mid-level prospects.

We've also seen that players tend to be better versions of themselves when they leave the South Side. Gavin Sheets is thriving in San Diego and Andrew Vaughn is becoming a folk hero in Milwaukee. That trend is pretty well-known around the league and could convince some teams to bet on Robert Jr. having success with a change of scenery.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but Robert Jr. should have been traded after the 2023 season when his value was at an all-time high.

Instead, the Sox held onto too long and now will have to settle for pennies on the dollar.

The Sox must move their depreciating asset because the risk of paying him to go away in the offseason is much higher.

However, ESPN wants to make you think it is more feasible to pay him $20 million next season to fit a narrative of it being impossible to trade him before the deadline. It's a narrative that needs to stop.