The Chicago White Sox have not had much to be excited about throughout the season as they are a miserable 17-48 on the season and 16.5 games back of a playoff spot already. However, they could begin to sell off some pieces and one of their biggest trade pieces is center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
He is beginning to see the bumps in his contract begin to hit as he is under contract until the 2027 season as he signed a six-year, $50 million deal with the White Sox. However, the deal has him under contract officially only through next year as below is how his contract is structured.
- 2024: $12.5 million
- 2025: $15 million
- 2026: $20 million (Club Option, $2 million buyout)
- 2027: $20 million (Club Option, $2 million buyout)
With teams wanting to make a splash and landing a talent who is under control for a few seasons, Luis Robert Jr. could be on the move this deadline. However, the Chicago White Sox have made it known that they are wanting a trade package that exudes the value of the 2022 Juan Soto trade to the San Diego Padres if a team is interested in him, according to Bob Nightengale.
Let’s take a look at the 2022 Juan Soto trade and compare how things could go for teams wanting to acquire the 26-year-old center fielder.
What was the 2022 Juan Soto trade package?
The Juan Soto trade to the San Diego Padres was one of the more intriguing trades at the time as it saw a superstar outfielder with control switch teams. The trade saw the Padres acquire Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell while the Washington Nationals received first baseman Luke Voit, shortstop C.J. Abrams, starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, outfielder James Wood, outfielder Robert Hassell III and pitcher Jarlin Susana.
At the time, the trade saw the Nationals receive two top-90 prospects in the sport, the 14th-ranked prospect in the San Diego Padres’ system and three major league players. That is a steep price to pay but getting a future Hall of Fame player in Soto definitely made it worth it to a Padres team that was in win-now mode.
What has Luis Robert Jr. done so far in his career?
Luis Robert Jr. has been a solid player throughout his career thus far as he is posting a .823 OPS with 8 home runs, 216 RBIs and 47 stolen bases. However, health has been a bit of a concern as he has appeared in 70+ games just twice thus far.
So far this season, he has a .196/.213/.500 slash line with four home runs, six RBIs, six runs scored and a stolen base without being caught. He has also been a good fielder as he has a .989 career fielding percentage, committing only 10 errors in more than 3100 innings in the field.
Will the Chicago White Sox see a similar package to Juan Soto?
The answer to that is no, the package for Juan Soto does not happen often because players of Juan Soto’s caliber are not on the market often. Soto is younger (four years younger when traded in 2022) and has a better overall ability.
The numbers for Luis Robert Jr. this season also are a cause for concern. Since returning from his right hip flexor strain on June 4, he has played in five games. In that span, he is 3-for-16 with two solo home runs and zero walks to eight strikeouts. He is not going to be getting on base often and that hit-or-miss potential is a cause for concern.
At the end of the day, this could all just be negotiation tactics by the White Sox, but if it is not, expect to see Robert Jr. hitting at Guaranteed Rate Park in August and September.
About the Author
Vincent Pensabene graduated from Saint Leo University in 2019 with a B.A. in Sport Business and has focused on the media side of sports. He writes for multiple publications and is interested in the reasoning of why things happen. Feel free to follow him on social media @TalkVinTalk and discuss all things sports.
