Staying Put (For Now): White Sox Have 18 Months to Build Around Luis Robert Jr.

Luis Robert Jr.'s decision to switch agency to Boras Corporation, or as we call him in these parts, "Jerry Reinsdorf's personal boogeyman," was a bit of a gut punch to a fan base that really didn't need it at the moment. The Sox' star center fielder has two guaranteed years and two club options remaining on the deal he signed before he arrived at 35th/Shields in 2020.

Robert Jr. will be 30 years old at the end of the deal if both options be exercised. The likelihood of him being in center field for the Pale Hose on Opening Day 2028 was already unlikely at best, given he'll be looking for one final contract to cover his remaining prime years, but his decision to swap agencies was the death knell. We know that this team simply doesn't negotiate with the sport's most high-profile agent for his premium talent, so barring a change in ownership (how many times do we have to keep wishing for this), La Pantera will be elsewhere in 2028.  

Outcry

As one would expect, White Sox fans have not taken this news well. Should you make the mistake of perusing social media for Sox content, you'll find a barrage of comments from people saying they should just trade him to the Los Angeles Dodgers now to save everyone the time and trouble. As Sox fans, we're conditioned to expect bad news and to be pessimistic. This characteristic is at the core of our fandom, and the organization has bred this mindset, unfortunately. But even I think this is going too far.

The fact remains, 5-win center fielders that have 40-home-run potential while playing elite defense don't grow on trees. There are only a couple of organizations that have the prospect capital to pull off such a deal, and even if they wanted to make a call to Chris Getz out of boredom, the asking price would be so exorbitant that it would leave the acquiring team's farm system decimated.

Realistically, you'd be looking at some outrageous asking price like four of a team's top 10 prospects as a starting point. As I said, there are only a few teams in the league that could even entertain the discussion, let alone act upon it. For that reason alone, White Sox fans, I implore you to stop this line of thinking. The time simply isn't right to even consider moving the team's best all-around talent since Magglio Ordonez.

There will come a time in short order when this organization's leadership will have to give this matter serious consideration, but it's not in 2024. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply an over-the-top reaction bred from the doom-and-gloom mindset.

The Clock Is Ticking

While 2024 isn't the time to give thought to the idea of shipping Luis Robert Jr. out of town, that time will be upon us in short order. Chris Getz wants you to believe that this isn't a full rebuild. He wants you to believe that this team will be contending for the AL Central title (and he'll surely remind you the team is fortunate to play in that division). If those things are true, he needs to act with a sense of urgency because his best player's expiration date at the corner of 35th/Shields is in plain sight for all of us to see.

A few weeks back, I wrote about how Getz needs to learn from the failures of his predecessors and continually add talent to this organization, particularly at the big-league level. La Pantera's inevitable exit from the organization should serve as a wake-up call for the newly appointed general manager.

We all know 2024 will be a miserable year for the White Sox, and I think it's safe to say that they won't be sending out postseason invoices in 2025 either. So, that realistically gives the Sox two shots at the postseason with their Cuban star in center field. For those two seasons to even matter, the South Siders need to turn a corner and do so quickly, as they have alluded they believe they're in a position to do.

But we need to level set as a fan base here. If things aren't trending in the direction of this team being a viable contender for the 2026 season by the July 2025 trade deadline, some difficult decisions will need to be made. At that point, Robert Jr. will have half a season remaining on his final guaranteed year plus the two club options. Should the White Sox be still floundering at the bottom of the division they are so fortunate to reside in by next July, Getz will have no choice but to make the move to recoup as much prospect capital as possible.

In all seriousness, the notion of trading Robert Jr. doesn't need to even be explored until July 2025. If this team is trending in the right direction at that point, and Getz and Co. firmly believe they can reach October the following year, you hold onto the Cuban phenom. That will give them two shots at October magic with one of the league's truly dynamic stars.

Let me be clear, I don't want to think about Robert Jr. not hitting missiles at the corner of 35th/Shields, but it's a stark reality. That reality doesn't have to come until 2028, however. It's incumbent upon Getz and his front office to do everything in their power to give the White Sox a chance to win with No. 88 in the black and white. Time is of the essence, the clock is ticking. The White Sox have 18 months to build around La Pantera, and this time can't be wasted.

Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)

In the meantime, as down as we all are collectively, I have a simple message: cherish Luis Robert Jr. while he is still here. We aren't going to get to enjoy watching him every day for much longer, so take advantage of it while you still can. He's not getting traded in the immediate future, so file all the doom-and-gloom trade ideas away for another day. This isn't the time for those.

La Pantera will be in center field and hitting third when the White Sox return to Guaranteed Rate Field on March 28 against the Detroit Tigers. I'll be there to watch this team's lone bright spot that day, and whether you join me or not is a choice everyone will have to make individually. But I implore all of you to appreciate this athletic freak while he's still ours because the day he isn't any longer will be here before you know it.