Lip Man 1

Valid point. Just another reason for them to start acting like a major market club.

"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave..."

Sox Machine looks at both sides from their newsletter: Luis Robert Jr.: Trade Deadline Survivor The trade deadline came and went on Thursday, and the White Sox were less active than expected. They traded Austin Slater to the Yankees and Adrian Houser to the Rays, getting what appear to be appropriate returns for impending free agents with specific skill sets and/or limited track records, but the period was most defined by who wasn’t traded: one Luis Robert Jr. In the days leading up to the deadline, Chris Getz reiterated that he wasn’t marketing Robert as a rental. After the deadline passed and Robert remained with the White Sox, Getz stopped short of guaranteeing the exercising of Robert’s $20 million option for 2026, but he did say, “We anticipate him being here, we do.” Getz’s decision makes the White Sox’s final two months fascinating in terms of settling the argument. Robert is one of the biggest reasons the White Sox have started the second half 8-4, as he’s hitting .406/.500/.594 with standout defense in center field. If the White Sox feel better baseball is sustainable — and with the free agent market for center fielders slim pickings — then trading Robert for whatever they could get might be an individually sensible economic decision, but serve little purpose with regards to the bigger picture. The counterpoint: It’s eminently realistic that Robert gets hurt again, or otherwise goes into a tailspin that makes the $20 million option impossible to absorb. The White Sox feel like that’s a chance worth taking, and we’ll be tracking this decision to see which side of the debate wins out.

This is one time you can't argue with his comments.

PR purposes because they were getting so much negative feedback over teams tanking.

Does that matter to a team on pace to lose 100+ games this year, probably at least 90+ next year and then have the season shortened or cancelled in 2027 because of the owners lockout of the players?

🤡

As I have been told and provided direct comments in the past from people connected to the organization JR is involved in literally everything including "suggesting" what players should be drafted. Ken Rosenthal's story in the Athletic from last September should be required reading: "An owner who 'thinks he knows everything' led the White Sox to historic disaster" - September 19, 2024. And who has final say on hiring the individuals who 'pick' the players to spend money on?

Anything is possible but I find that hard to believe.

The Dodgers do though have a terrific scouting system. And I agree with your bolded part.

Neither Getz nor the organization has earned the benefit of the doubt but given his comments yesterday for JR to then order him to just waive Robert would make him look very bad. And it's not like Getz would say that JR ordered him to do it. I don't think JR would put him in that situation at least not so soon.

History shows this to be the case with literally millions and millions of JR's money wasted on non performing players.

With JR in charge that's all you realistically should do. The Sox have spent money, unfortunately the vast majority of it has been on stiffs, has-been's, injury-prone guys and retreads since JR refuses to pay the market rate for game changing, superstar, franchise altering talents. Since the start of the 2007 season the Sox have been one of the worst franchise in baseball, 12 losing years (soon to be 13), five winning ones and a .500 campaign. Not good.

In his own way Ricketts is almost as bad as JR.

😆🤡 We will see...talk is cheap remember. Hope they do but I won't hold my breath waiting.

Exactly. Let's dumpster dive and find as many cheap options as possible because really good talent either costs to much for JR's liking or they won't even consider playing for this organization.

I'm sure it will be. As history shows though it will be spent mostly of retreads, has-been's, injury-prone guys and stiffs on their last legs. JR doesn't believe in paying for game changing, superstar talent.

Depends on your definition of getting better. In theory they should but this is still a team that is going to lose a ton of games in 2026. Going 70-92 in 2026 is progress based on numbers but still no where close to "contending" is it? And then of course comes the lockout in 2027.

The franchise is in a very bad spot. Some of it was because of factors beyond their control but the vast majority of it was because of their own incompetence, dysfunction and ineptness.

The point of dumping him was to get whatever you could and roll the dice that it could turn out to be a player you can use in the future. The Sox aren't going anywhere with him in 2025, they aren't going anywhere with him in 2026 and it remains to be seen if baseball will be played at all in 2027 with the labor impasse.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2025/07/31/white-sox-luis-robert-trade-adrian-houser General manager Chris Getz had commanded a steep return for the soon-to-be 28-year-old outfielder in recent days, and talks with National League contenders including the Mets and Padres collapsed in the final hours, sources said.

The wild card of course is the upcoming labor impasse and the probability the owners will lock out the players as soon as the 2026 season ends. That could seriously impact the 2027 season. JR as history shows rarely, very rarely takes risks and this absolutely is going to play into any decision he makes.

Good point.

Same here although like Caulfield pointed out we'd have to see what happens then as he remembered the Kimbrel/Pollock debacle.

Then that begs the question because of his salary will the Sox have to actually kick in money to move him? And if he gets hurt or slumps the final two months what then?