If you went to bed early on Tuesday night, you likely missed the end of a multi-year trade saga surrounding outfielder Luis Robert Jr. His name has been swirling in trade rumors since last offseason, with debates still ongoing about his trade value. In the end, Robert heads to the Mets and the White Sox receive 23 year-old utilityman Luisangel Acuna and right-hander Truman Pauley. Importantly, the Mets will take on the entirety of Robert’s $20 million salary, saving the White Sox significant money. Let’s take a look at where the White Sox payroll lies following the trade.
According to Spotrac, the White Sox current tax payroll following the Robert trade is equal to $111.6 million, the third lowest in baseball. Only the Rays ($108.7 million) and Marlins ($100.9 million) currently have a lower total, and both play in significantly smaller markets than Chicago. The Mets, meanwhile, now have a payroll of $379 million after adding Robert’s deal, second highest in baseball. Notably, they still trail the Dodgers by over $40 million.
With the Mets taking on Luis Robert’s $20 million salary for 2026, Chris Getz says “We’ve got financial flexibility now to bring in (more) talent. We’re going to be very active.”
— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) January 21, 2026
He’s already been talking with agents and clubs.
The offseason is not yet over, and White Sox GM Chris Getz has indicated that the team will be able to use the money they saved to add additional players, but a team playing in the third-largest market having the third-lowest payroll is just as ridiculous as it sounds. Even with Robert’s contract, the White Sox still ranked 27th in baseball, only passing the Cleveland Guardians with his contract added. In no way, shape, or form should the team have needed to salary dump Robert to free up money for spending.
White Sox lack of spending is a choice, not a necessity
There’s no salary cap in Major League Baseball, at least not yet. The addition of a salary cap is a hotly contested issue among players and owners and may be the primary cause of an extended lockout following the 2026 season. Instead of a cap, MLB implements luxury tax penalties for teams that spend over a certain threshold. The current tax threshold is $244 million, which is $132 million over the White Sox current mark. With Robert’s contract, the White Sox would still have $112 million to play with before approaching the tax number.
The White Sox don’t bring nearly the revenue of the Los Angeles Dodgers, so it’s unrealistic to expect them to behave like the Dodgers, but to not even spend half of the allotted amount to try and put a winning team on the field is nothing short of disgraceful. I’m not suggesting the White Sox recklessly spend in the name of winning, but putting in an honest effort to improve shouldn’t be difficult. I, like many in the White Sox community, can't wait for the upcoming ownership change. It'll be a refreshing change to see the White Sox playing at the top of the free agent market and making meaningful additions instead of looking for bargain bin deals and patching together a losing team.
With three weeks remaining until pitchers and catchers head to Spring Training, the White Sox will need to get things in gear quickly if they want to make a genuine attempt at improvement this season. The current roster features an intriguing group of young players, but several significant holes. It’s not an exaggeration to say the next few weeks will be crucial for not only the 2026 roster, but the development of the team’s future.
Let’s hope Chris Getz is up to the task.