This is not the ideal offseason for the Chicago White Sox to consider trading Luis Robert Jr.
Last offseason was, but the owner wanted things turned around quickly even though Jerry Reinsdorf was not willing to authorized a major free-agent spending spree for that to happen.
Now, the franchise is at the beginning of a monumental rebuild after losing a record 121 games. One of the reasons that happened on a Dead Sea scroll-sized list is Robert Jr. missed 62 games with an injury.
When he was in the lineup, he was ineffective at the plate. He went from hitting .264 with 38 home runs and 4.9 fWAR in 2023 to a .224 average, 14 home runs, and a .5 fWAR this season.
The injury history and the terrible 2024 have put his trade value at an all-time low. However, that is not discouraging general manager Chris Getz from trying to deal Robert Jr. this offseason.
Getz likely wants to trade Robert Jr. now because if he gets hurt again in 2025, the team must consider paying his $2 million buyout after the season rather than exercise his $20 million option for 2026.
That means losing him for nothing, much like what just happened with Yoan Moncada.
He still can impact the game defensively, and if he stays healthy, he has one of the most talented bats in the game. Plus, he is owed only $15 million this season and then two $20 million club options. Considering what Juan Soto just signed for, that is a bargain so long as LRJ stays healthy and returns to 2023 form.