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Chris Getz made his feelings known about the Luis Robert Jr. trade.
The Chicago White Sox made a trade late Tuesday night involving their center fielder, Luis Robert Jr. The White Sox sent Robert Jr to the New York Mets in exchange for Luisangel Acuna and Truman Pauley. The trade was a long time coming, and the White Sox have finally found a compatible partner. On Wednesday morning, Chris Getz, the White Sox general manager, revealed the reason why the team decided to part ways with their All-Star center fielder.
“Obviously, the talent is real. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had the consistency that he had hoped, or we had hoped. I know that he cares about the game deeply, he wants to play well. It’s a challenging game. I know injuries have really held him back,” Getz told Scott Merkin of MLB.com.
Getz on Robert: “Obviously the talent is real. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had the consistency that he had hoped or we had hoped. I know that he cares about the game deeply, he wants to play well. It’s a challenging game. I know injuries have really held him back.”
The injuries were a significant factor in his decline in Chicago, but the talent and potential are still there. When healthy, Robert is a very good center fielder. However, for the price and his inconsistency, Getz and the rest of the front office felt it was best to move on.
GettyThe White Sox will not have to pay any of Luis Robert Jr’s salary.
The White Sox owed Robert Jr. $20 million for the 2026 season. There was a team option for 2027, but that now shifts over to the Mets. The best part about the trade is that the White Sox do not have to pay any of Robert Jr’s salary. New York will cover the full $20 million.
With his salary off the books, Chicago is not done adding to their team. The White Sox have already signed Sean Newcomb to help the starting rotation, while landing the top Japanese free agent in Muntaka Murakami. There is a clear desire to improve the team in Chicago, but it has to make sense for them financially.
Trading Robert Jr has not freed up $20 million, and the White Sox plan to use it.
Getz: “In general, I think we are going to be very active” when asked if his outfield is set. They anticipate a roster that is going to continue to evolve.
“We’ve got some financial flexibility now to continue to bring in talent.”
“In general, I think we are going to be very active. We’ve got some financial flexibility now to continue to bring in talent,” Getz said, per Merkin.
Luisangel Acuna does fill in as a utility player, and the thought is that he will get plenty of playing time in center field. Chicago will have to make sure he develops more as a major league hitter, but Acuna will, presumably, have a roster spot on opening day.
With that in mind, the White Sox could use that $20 million on pitching or more depth for their lineup. There is no specific area of attack for the White Sox, though. They are open to bringing in any player who will help the team.
Getz on specific roster areas to target now: “All areas. I know when you move on from a Luis Robert, there’s an assumption that a certain position needs to be filled. But it’s increasing talent on the team to help us win ballgames…
GettyThe Chicago White Sox should be a better team in 2026.
Looking ahead to 2026, the White Sox should not be expected to be in the Wild Card race. The team has improved significantly, but they are still lacking in some areas.
After the Robert Jr trade, FanGraphs has the starting lineup as follows:
Korey Lee, Lenyn Sosa, Derek Hill, and Everson Pereira round out the bench.
The White Sox could use more help in terms of depth. And that is about all the $20M will get them. Chicago has historically been unwilling to sign the big-name free agents, so do not expect them to spend all $20M in one place.
There are also plenty of pitchers left for the White Sox to sign. Sean Burke, Davis Martin, Shane Smith, Anthony Kay, and Sean Newcomb are the current starting five. However, pitchers struggle, and pitchers get hurt. Adding another starter would be in the team’s best interest.
Nonetheless, the White Sox are poised to be a much better team in 2026.
Cam Zunkel Cam Zunkel has been a sports journalist since 2022. He covers the NBA and MLB for Heavy.com. Cam also covers multiple MLB teams for On SI - part of the Sports Illustrated Brand. He is a former collegiate baseball player with two stops in the independent Frontier League. More about Cam Zunkel
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