This sucks. I feel like the Sox were shaping up to be a relatively interesting offensive team. Robert had a smidge of protection for the first time in forever.
I think this outcome is better than simply declining the option and paying Robert $2M to go away, but I would have just held Robert. If he had a good season, the Sox could have been watchable and interesting-ish. If he didn't, we don't have Acuna - who was likely to be DFA or dumped for nothing in 2 months anyway as he is out of options. There is not a single player available for $20M that has the upside of Luis Robert, or could make the White Sox a better team instead of Robert. All this did was make the Sox worse, and lower the already brutally low payroll.
I am pissed. Not at the return. Not that the Sox didn't time the market perfectly and trade him post-2023. But because it just feels like the Sox are a considerably worse team today than yesterday. And FFS, I am so ready to watch watchable baseball.