The Chicago White Sox rallied back to beat the Houston Astros on Sunday and steal the series thanks to Luis Robert Jr. and Edgar Quero.
It was such a refreshing comeback victory that got a number of Sox fans thinking about how Robert and Quero would be a great duo that could be complimented by Chase Meidroth and Miguel Vargas in the lineup.
So before you get carried away fantasizing about the Sox building around Luis Robert Jr., I need to inform you that it won't be happening.
The White Sox are going to trade Luis Robert Jr. at some point this season. It's necessary that they do so, even with Robert being 27 years old and under club control for 2.5 more seasons at a very affordable $20 million in AAV.
The White Sox have three reasons to trade Luis Robert Jr.
1) Luis Robert Jr. is likely not signing an extension
Luis Robert is a Scott Boras client, and Boras takes his guys to free agency. Robert's final year under contract with the White Sox is in 2027, which is right when Chicago might be competitive again.
This is becoming a similar situation Garrett Crochet last year. The franchise never made much of an effort to keep Crochet beyond 2026, and that was one reason the club traded the ace it drafted and developed. If a player is not going to realistically be on your next playoff team, it is always better to trade them while they still have value.
The White Sox could always keep Robert Jr. and see if he can be brought back in the 2027 offseason. But the Sox we've come to know never win bidding wars. Unless Justin Ishbia is the controlling owner by then, it is doubtful that will change.
Robert Jr. could instruct Boras to work out an extension, but Boras could easily point to the big-time deals he gets for his players and convince Luis to go to free agency.
2) Jerry Reinsdorf is not going to pay market price
Robert is a streaky player, but he can beat teams pretty much by himself with his glove, speed, and bat when he is going right at the plate.
That type of impact, despite the injury risk, along with already being an All-Star and still being in his 20's usually means an extension that will cost well over $100 million in total.
The White Sox are one of two franchises that have never signed a player to a deal over $100 million--the going rate for top-tier talent in the league.
So even if Robert Jr. instructed Boras to work out an extension, ownership would likely not pay the price to keep him.
3) Robert Jr. could yield a rebuild-accelerating return
An alarming injury history is one of the reasons the White Sox are willing to trade Robert in the first place. There is a real risk of them team facing a similar situation to the one they had with Yoan Moncada last season.
This is the last year of guaranteed money for Robert Jr., and if he suffers a massive injury, then the team will have to pay him to go away. Even Robert Jr. was surprised he was on the Opening Day roster.
The hope was he would make it through April healthy, hit well in May and even a little bit into June, and then deal him.
So far, everything is going according to the plan. But that dark cloud of his next potential injury always looms. The White Sox need to cash in on Robert's value. He is the last player the Sox have that could get a haul of prospects in return and catalyze this rebuild. You do not want another injury ruining the chance to add those players.
All the prior injuries Robert Jr. has had just give teams an excuse to not meet the club's demand, but it does not mean teams do not want the former All-Star.
The Cincinatti Reds were reportedly willing to trade one of their top five prospects, but they never met the asking price Chris Getz put forth. The Los Angeles Dodgers were willing to trade James Outman and another top prospect to get Luis Robert Jr. before talks were tabled.
Robert still has value. The more he hits, the more value he has. One injury would wipe out any chance of coming close to those offseason trade offers. But if he keeps showing he is emerging from his season-starting slump, then the Sox have a chance of getting a better deal.
Chicago's farm system is rich in pitching, but it needs more impact position players. Besides the draft, trading Robert Jr. is the easiest way to get those prospects.
Outside of Braden Montgomery, William Bergolla, and Kyle Teel, there are some major question marks about who else will be a core player in the lineup with the players the team has in the minors.
Colson Montgomery has been pulled from minor league games after struggling at Triple-A this season. He also struggled there last year. George Wolkow is hitting under .200 during his second season at Low-A ball. Bryan Ramos is also off to a slow start in Charlotte.
That is why the Sox have to leverage Robert Jr. to get more pieces rather than build around him with Quero and Meidroth moving forward.