MLBTR Offseason Outlook on White Sox

[soxrwhite]

On 12/2/2025 at 8:40 AM, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Frankly Id rather give Baldwin a chance to show improvement as an OF and see how many HRs he can hit. Hes got enough speed to be a decent OF .  He just needs to learn you can't be casual out there .Needs to think ahead and focus concentration. Baldwin LF Braden Montgomery RF asap. 

I like Baldwin,Robert,Braden left to right.

[WestEddy]

The #WhiteSox have interest in JJ Bleday for their corner outfield openings.

— Bartolo's Colonoscopy (@lakeview487) December 7, 2025

[Dick Allen]

9 hours ago, WestEddy said:

The National Equirer is more accurate than that guy.

[WestEddy]

3 hours ago, Dick Allen said:

The National Equirer is more accurate than that guy.

Oh, sure. I'm just jonesin' for any kind of rumor at this point. 

[poppysox]

On 12/6/2025 at 1:52 PM, soxrwhite said:

I like Baldwin,Robert,Braden left to right.

Not bad at all.  Let's keep Robert and build around him using some of Ishbia's money.  If we wait much longer, there won't be any new fans to give a crap about this franchise.

[Bob Sacamano]

Just now, poppysox said:

Not bad at all.  Let's keep Robert and build around him using some of Ishbia's money.  If we wait much longer, there won't be any new fans to give a crap about this franchise.

He’s not signed long term. Trade him asap

[WestEddy]

3 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

He’s not signed long term. Trade him asap

And right now, Robert's an expensive version of what we would turn around and pick up for $5M or so. 

[Dick Allen]

I think the biggest impact action of the Winter Meetings that the White Sox actually have a great shot of doing is winning the draft lottery. It’s supposed to be a year of an obvious #1 pick.

[poppysox]

11 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

And right now, Robert's an expensive version of what we would turn around and pick up for $5M or so. 

Who exactly would that be?  Robert, if healthy, is worth every dime.  20 million doesn't buy a star anymore.  Jerry isn't going to spend the 35+ million to buy a star from outside the organisation.  I am well aware of the "he can't stay healthy" argument, but it's that vs you will get some 5 million dollar castoffs and watch nothing until 2029.  Apparently, Robert is the only chance we have of watching a star "potential" player for a while.  I would be thrilled to hear that we extended Robert and intend to build the club around him.  We need to start somewhere.  Trading one of the best players on the team to avoid his salary is not fan-friendly IMO.

[WestEddy]

7 minutes ago, poppysox said:

Who exactly would that be?  Robert, if healthy, is worth every dime.  20 million doesn't buy a star anymore.  Jerry isn't going to spend the 35+ million to buy a star from outside the organisation.  I am well aware of the "he can't stay healthy" argument, but it's that vs you will get some 5 million dollar castoffs and watch nothing until 2029.  Apparently, Robert is the only chance we have of watching a star "potential" player for a while.  I would be thrilled to hear that we extended Robert and intend to build the club around him.  We need to start somewhere.  Trading one of the best players on the team to avoid his salary is not fan-friendly IMO.

Cedrick Mullins is going to give the Rays most of that for about $7M. If Luis Robert is who he has appeared to be these last two years, he doesn't even give you the production of an average major leaguer. If he tops out at a 2-3 WAR player, sure, you're paying him Free Agency prices for that at $20M. If you get what he gave you for weeks upon weeks at a time over the last 2 years, that's horrible. 

Robert is not the last chance to watch star potential. Colson and Teel give you that right now. The Sox will not extend Robert, and it's not because Reinsdorf is cheap. Scott Boras is his agent, and he will try the market. If he does max out his 2-3 WAR ceiling over the next two seasons, he'll most likely test out the market and be paid handsomely for his production. 

And again, Robert is no longer one of the best players on the team. Okay, maybe one of the best, but that's not a compliment for this team. If you put him on the Phillies, he's a nice, complimentary player, maybe even part of an expanded platoon. 

Grant you, I'd have no problem with the Sox keeping him and running him out in CF at least through July, at most through the end of 2027. But I think it's time to move on from him if he brings back players of value. 

[poppysox]

6 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Cedrick Mullins is going to give the Rays most of that for about $7M. If Luis Robert is who he has appeared to be these last two years, he doesn't even give you the production of an average major leaguer. If he tops out at a 2-3 WAR player, sure, you're paying him Free Agency prices for that at $20M. If you get what he gave you for weeks upon weeks at a time over the last 2 years, that's horrible. 

Robert is not the last chance to watch star potential. Colson and Teel give you that right now. The Sox will not extend Robert, and it's not because Reinsdorf is cheap. Scott Boras is his agent, and he will try the market. If he does max out his 2-3 WAR ceiling over the next two seasons, he'll most likely test out the market and be paid handsomely for his production. 

And again, Robert is no longer one of the best players on the team. Okay, maybe one of the best, but that's not a compliment for this team. If you put him on the Phillies, he's a nice, complimentary player, maybe even part of an expanded platoon. 

Grant you, I'd have no problem with the Sox keeping him and running him out in CF at least through July, at most through the end of 2027. But I think it's time to move on from him if he brings back players of value. 

We are the only major market team in a division of small market teams.  I refuse to trade "one of" the best players on that team for salary relief.  Get me a player that will be a 2-3 WAR (your standard) for Robert, and I'll buy that.  IMO if he is healthy, he blows that 2-3 WAR to smithereens.

[Bob Sacamano]

37 minutes ago, poppysox said:

We are the only major market team in a division of small market teams.  I refuse to trade "one of" the best players on that team for salary relief.  Get me a player that will be a 2-3 WAR (your standard) for Robert, and I'll buy that.  IMO if he is healthy, he blows that 2-3 WAR to smithereens.

He had a relatively healthy season by his standards (2nd most games he played in a season) last season and didn’t put up a 2 WAR.

Edited December 7 by Bob Sacamano

[WestEddy]

33 minutes ago, poppysox said:

We are the only major market team in a division of small market teams.  I refuse to trade "one of" the best players on that team for salary relief.  Get me a player that will be a 2-3 WAR (your standard) for Robert, and I'll buy that.  IMO if he is healthy, he blows that 2-3 WAR to smithereens.

Robert wouldn't be getting moved for salary relief. If the Sox wanted to get out from under his contract, all they'd have to do was not select his option.

He'd be getting moved for a player package that filled holes and pumped cheap talent into the next competitive window. Robert has played more than 110 games once in 5 seasons. So making his ceiling conditional on him being healthy is relatively meaningless. 

If a good return isn't out there, again, I have no problem with the Sox holding and playing Robert. But he would be getting traded at the deadline, then. Just because we're a "major market" team doesn't mean we have to make bad decisions. 

[Bob Sacamano]

1 minute ago, WestEddy said:

Robert wouldn't be getting moved for salary relief. If the Sox wanted to get out from under his contract, all they'd have to do was not select his option.

He'd be getting moved for a player package that filled holes and pumped cheap talent into the next competitive window. Robert has played more than 110 games once in 5 seasons. So making his ceiling conditional on him being healthy is relatively meaningless. 

If a good return isn't out there, again, I have no problem with the Sox holding and playing Robert. But he would be getting traded at the deadline, then. Just because we're a "major market" team doesn't mean we have to make bad decisions. 

And it seems like they’ll probably eat money to make that happen. They would have to if they were getting the bolded. So not really a salary dump.

[WestEddy]

1 minute ago, Bob Sacamano said:

And it seems like they’ll probably eat money to make that happen. They would have to if they were getting the bolded. So not really a salary dump.

And calling it a "package" is generous. If they paid down Robert's salary, maybe they could get a low level OF and an interesting arm. 

[southsider2k5]

1 hour ago, poppysox said:

Who exactly would that be?  Robert, if healthy, is worth every dime.  20 million doesn't buy a star anymore.  Jerry isn't going to spend the 35+ million to buy a star from outside the organisation.  I am well aware of the "he can't stay healthy" argument, but it's that vs you will get some 5 million dollar castoffs and watch nothing until 2029.  Apparently, Robert is the only chance we have of watching a star "potential" player for a while.  I would be thrilled to hear that we extended Robert and intend to build the club around him.  We need to start somewhere.  Trading one of the best players on the team to avoid his salary is not fan-friendly IMO.

Literally the entire problem. 

[Lip Man 1]

4 hours ago, poppysox said:

Not bad at all.  Let's keep Robert and build around him using some of Ishbia's money.  If we wait much longer, there won't be any new fans to give a crap about this franchise.

First off he's going to be a free agent soon and the Sox aren't close to being competitive for another two-three years and second, from everything I've seen and read Ishbia doesn't have any say on the on-field player decisions, his money right now is going towards off the field issues. 

[PaleAleSox]

4 hours ago, poppysox said:

Not bad at all.  Let's keep Robert and build around him using some of Ishbia's money.  If we wait much longer, there won't be any new fans to give a crap about this franchise.

He isn't good enough or healthy enough to build around.

[poppysox]

49 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

First off he's going to be a free agent soon and the Sox aren't close to being competitive for another two-three years and second, from everything I've seen and read Ishbia doesn't have any say on the on-field player decisions, his money right now is going towards off the field issues. 

Yep...How pathetic is that?  I enjoyed the hell out of the "Field of Dreams" game.  The game is what I watch...not some groupthink on what makes a top stadium.  

[Bob Sacamano]

5 minutes ago, poppysox said:

Yep...How pathetic is that?  I enjoyed the hell out of the "Field of Dreams" game.  The game is what I watch...not some groupthink on what makes a top stadium.  

So just one game in the past 5 seasons?

[poppysox]

54 minutes ago, PaleAleSox said:

He isn't good enough or healthy enough to build around.

You can take the team and spend 100 million to fill it out, and it would be a competitive and watchable team.  I don't have a better CF player than Robert at this point.  My interest is not in waiting 3 years for us to make an effort 

 

1 minute ago, Bob Sacamano said:

So just one game in the past 5 seasons?

Yeah...probably the only game in those 5 seasons that was really exciting.  I'm sure you can follow the point I'm making.  At the trade deadline, I advocated for 14 or 15 million per year for 4 or 5 years for Robert.  You and others said that was way low, blah...blah...blah.  Now he is hot garbage IYO.  I few Robert as a 5 tool player who has had real problems staying on the field.  But, until we have someone better to play CF the WS have much bigger problems to solve than reducing payroll.  

[Bob Sacamano]

28 minutes ago, poppysox said:

You can take the team and spend 100 million to fill it out, and it would be a competitive and watchable team.  I don't have a better CF player than Robert at this point.  My interest is not in waiting 3 years for us to make an effort 

 

Yeah...probably the only game in those 5 seasons that was really exciting.  I'm sure you can follow the point I'm making.  At the trade deadline, I advocated for 14 or 15 million per year for 4 or 5 years for Robert.  You and others said that was way low, blah...blah...blah.  Now he is hot garbage IYO.  I few Robert as a 5 tool player who has had real problems staying on the field.  But, until we have someone better to play CF the WS have much bigger problems to solve than reducing payroll.  

Yeah there was no reason for Robert to take that. His agent is now Boras. He’ll play out his remaining contract and sign for the best deal.

He’s better off gambling on his talent than taking a cheap extension. 

Edited December 8 by Bob Sacamano

[WhiteSox2023]

20 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

Yeah there was no reason for Robert to take that. His agent is now Boras. He’ll play out his remaining contract and sign for the best deal.

He’s better off gambling on his talent than taking a cheap extension. 

It’s funny how he doesn’t understand this.  Robert didn’t switch to Boras to take a hometown discount.  Also, why does he think Jerry is spending $100 million dollars on any single player at this stage in time?  Besides the fact that $75 million is his largest contract ever.

Edited December 8 by WhiteSox2023

[poppysox]

6 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

It’s funny how he doesn’t understand this.  Robert didn’t switch to Boras to take a hometown discount.  Also, why does he think Jerry is spending $100 million dollars on any single player at this stage in time?  Besides the fact that $75 million is his largest contract ever.

The reason you don't understand is that you don't read and try to understand what a person is saying.  I said to spend 100 million on improving the team.  NOT on 1 player.  This back-and-forth discussion was my saying the WS could extend Robert and build around him had nothing to do with a 14 M or 20M per year.  Trading Robert needs to improve the team in 2026 IMO.  A six-year rebuild for any team should be against the law.

[WhiteSox2023]

26 minutes ago, poppysox said:

The reason you don't understand is that you don't read and try to understand what a person is saying.  I said to spend 100 million on improving the team.  NOT on 1 player.  This back-and-forth discussion was my saying the WS could extend Robert and build around him had nothing to do with a 14 M or 20M per year.  Trading Robert needs to improve the team in 2026 IMO.  A six-year rebuild for any team should be against the law.

Your very first comment was about extending Robert.  What do you think that would cost?  Regardless, Jerry isn’t spending $100 million dollars on one player or several anytime soon.

Edited December 8 by WhiteSox2023