2 minutes ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

Honestly disagree. His potential stability even if for 110 games and protection is likely worth more to the younger players in this line-up than whatever you get in a trade at this point 

Lineup protection?  The dude has OPS’ed around .660 in each of the past two seasons.

2 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Lineup protection?  The dude has OPS’ed around .660 in each of the past two seasons.

Yep and it needs to get better. But still probably .100 point better than Derek Hill or whoever the hell Wed roll out there.

Edited December 27, 2025Dec 27 by Buehrle>Wood

4 minutes ago, Reyno45 said:

And do all teams view him as a rental? He’d have another club option next year. 

It would depend on if he broke out this year.  Like coming back really strong or winning comeback player of the year.  That might earn him his next $20 million dollar option.  Otherwise, he’ll get a $2 million buyout.

1 minute ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

It would depend on if he broke out this year.  Like coming back really strong or winning comeback player of the year.  That might earn him his next $20 million dollar option.  Otherwise, he’ll get a $2 million buyout.

Yeah and if he does break out a team has him for a year and a half for $20 mil next year assuming the Sox don’t eat any money. I think you take the gamble and find other ways to go about getting pitching. 

I think there is something to be said about the mental aspect of showing up to the stadium 162 days of the year knowing your team is ass and you have to be the one to carry the offense and give 100% effort knowing you’re gonna lose most likely. If you paid attention when Montgomery came up and some of the kids started hitting there was a jolt in Robert, I truly believe there’s something still there, just needs to focus on staying healthy. 

1 minute ago, Reyno45 said:

Yeah and if he does break out a team has him for a year and a half for $20 mil next year assuming the Sox don’t eat any money. I think you take the gamble and find other ways to go about getting pitching. 

I think there is something to be said about the mental aspect of showing up to the stadium 162 days of the year knowing your team is ass and you have to be the one to carry the offense and give 100% effort knowing you’re gonna lose most likely. If you paid attention when Montgomery came up and some of the kids started hitting there was a jolt in Robert, I truly believe there’s something still there, just needs to focus on staying healthy. 

But he can’t.  He’s as injury-prone as Eloy and Moncada were.

He got 1 year for 1.4 million so not exactly groundbreaking 

2 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

But he can’t.  He’s as injury-prone as Eloy and Moncada were.

He’s not nearly as lazy as they were otherwise he’d have been gone already. Chris Getz has had numerous opportunities to trade him over the last 2 years and hasn’t for a specific reason 

3 minutes ago, Reyno45 said:

He’s not nearly as lazy as they were otherwise he’d have been gone already. Chris Getz has had numerous opportunities to trade him over the last 2 years and hasn’t for a specific reason 

Yep. Sox have always raved about his incredible work ethic. 

22 minutes ago, Lukakke Appling said:

I don’t know how much this changes. Nobody who wants to win is going to play Bleday in CF. He sucks. 

Eh I think this is the kind of half move you see a lot with teams who are sort of trying to win but are being overly conservative about it.

So yeah, I’d be surprised if this didn’t take the Reds out of Robert trade talks completely.

25 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Lineup protection?  The dude has OPS’ed around .660 in each of the past two seasons.

Because he had nothing around him for most of that time. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he started playing better once Teel and Colson were called up.

4 minutes ago, ChiSoxFanMike said:

Because he had nothing around him for most of that time. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he started playing better once Teel and Colson were called up.

Keep him at this point. Maybe he has a 2023 type season and we get 3 hitters who pop 30 hrs in our lineup. Have a little fun and if someone gets desperate trade him. Or don't and we lose him for nothing which at this point doesn't move the needle for me either way. But trading him for next to nothing and eating money sounds very unappealing. 

40 minutes ago, Reyno45 said:

I agree, I think their pitching staff stinks but I’d still rather try and rebuild Robert’s value than give him up for whatever you can get. I want to see how he can perform with some lineup protection for the 1st time in years. At worst you got a good glove caliber defender in CF. 

But this season in particular, "building Robert's value" costs 4 months of playing time, eating away at the same value you're building. His dreamy ceiling is worth as much now as a 2-month rental bat. 

Besides that pickle, I think the league's wise to Robert. If they get him now, they could use that 100 games in CF. If they get him at the TDL, they could really be paying him to hang out at Athletico for 6 of his 9 weeks on their team. 

5 minutes ago, TheBooneLoganEra said:

Keep him at this point. Maybe he has a 2023 type season and we get 3 hitters who pop 30 hrs in our lineup. Have a little fun and if someone gets desperate trade him. Or don't and we lose him for nothing which at this point doesn't move the needle for me either way. But trading him for next to nothing and eating money sounds very unappealing. 

Completely agree.

41 minutes ago, Reyno45 said:

If I’m not mistaken you said that teams were offering the Cedric Mullins-type return to the Sox for Robert. If that’s the case take that at the deadline if it’s there if you are that desperate to get rid of him. And odds are he’s not healthy but I’m taking the gamble. 

The Cedric Mullins deal was trading crap for a body. It was 3 minor league bullpen arms, one of which was a converted shortstop. You're exchanging the prospect of getting a guy you would work with and have a useable #4 arm, or 4th OF now - for bulk garbage in July. 

43 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

They certainly need more offense and the OF is probably an easier spot to add at for them.  I do think adding a legit CF makes a ton of sense for them still, but there is starting to be a roster crunch there.

They have Marte in RF who’s a lock to play every day and Friedl and Bleday in other spots so they might be fine there with someone to platoon with. Unless they do move Steer and move Marte back to the IF (1B)

15 minutes ago, ChiSoxFanMike said:

Because he had nothing around him for most of that time. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he started playing better once Teel and Colson were called up.

Obviously it works both ways but the poster stated that Robert provided lineup protection, not that he needed it himself.

Kinda wish we would have gambled on him at that price. Also would have taken an option off the board for Cincy.

I can’t wait until Robert leaves via free agency and get nothing for him.

7 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

Kinda wish we would have gambled on him at that price. Also would have taken an option off the board for Cincy.

I can’t wait until Robert leaves via free agency and get nothing for him.

Definitely.  The Sox gave Derek Hill $900K.  Bleday will be only $600K more plus possible incentives.

I'm on the fence in all directions. I'd rather they trade Robert, as I'd like the roster churn and new hope for whatever they throw out into CF. While keeping Robert does keep a positional hole off the todo list, he adds pressure to have a backup who won't hurt you for 60 games. That's 2 solid months. 

Robert's value is most probably at its highest right now. There's an entire season of conditioning and usage a team could obtain. There are more teams in the demand chain. The Reds, Pirates and Giants most probably aren't kicking the tires on 2 months of CF if they're playing .500 ball on July 15. 

1 minute ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Definitely.  The Sox gave Derek Hill $900K.  Bleday will be only $600K more plus possible incentives.

Derek Hill plays CF, tho. Bleday is a backup OF who does not specialize in CF. Bleday has negative defensive value. 

2 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Derek Hill plays CF, tho. Bleday is a backup OF who does not specialize in CF. Bleday has negative defensive value. 

You can give Billy Hamilton or the like a ST invite if you want a backup defensive CF.

4 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

You can give Billy Hamilton or the like a ST invite if you want a backup defensive CF.

You have a backup defensive CF right now in Derek Hill. I don't think Hamilton's a major league option anymore.

I tooted the horn for Bleday, also, but he's really not a full-season plan B in CF. The more I read about this, the more I like that the Sox stayed away from Bleday, and the less I consider him an obstacle to a Reds trade. He is, in that the Reds could mumble something about liking their roster and back away from the White Sox, but Bleday is a clear step down from Hays. And they still need a RH bat. 

1 hour ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Meh. He won’t be healthy and if he is, rental bats don’t bring back any return anyway. 

Which is why this whole dance of picking up his option was weird anyway.  

5 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

You have a backup defensive CF right now in Derek Hill. I don't think Hamilton's a major league option anymore.

I tooted the horn for Bleday, also, but he's really not a full-season plan B in CF. The more I read about this, the more I like that the Sox stayed away from Bleday, and the less I consider him an obstacle to a Reds trade. He is, in that the Reds could mumble something about liking their roster and back away from the White Sox, but Bleday is a clear step down from Hays. And they still need a RH bat. 

I don’t even like Bleday that much but for only $1.5 million…  well, that’s peanuts.  I’d rather see the Sox get back a decent CF prospect for Robert but the talk is that they are targeting pitching.

Edited December 27, 2025Dec 27 by WhiteSox2023

17 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Definitely.  The Sox gave Derek Hill $900K.  Bleday will be only $600K more plus possible incentives.

Hill has a split contract that will pays him $450k if in the minors and $900k if in the majors (which is basically the league minimum).  I’m still not convinced he’s in the majors unless we trade Robert and then he’d be part of a CF platoon most likely with Baldwin.  Bleday can’t play CF anymore, so it’s really apples & oranges here.  Doesn’t mean we couldn’t have signed Bleday, but he’s more of a corner OF guy at this point.