Luis Robert Jr. didn't expect to remain with White Sox after speculation-filled offseason
As center fielder Luis Robert Jr. sat in the dugout Wednesday, he was honest about his shock to still be wearing a White Sox uniform.
“Honestly, no,” Robert said of expecting to be back. “I know there were a lot of rumors around, and I didn’t think I would be here. But I’m glad that I’m here.”
It has been a bumpy five-season ride for Robert on the South Side. He has had his share of highs — a Silver Slugger Award in 2023, a Gold Glove in 2020 — but his lows include a high strikeout rate and an inability to avoid injuries.
Robert hit .224/.278/.379 last season. He suffered a Grade 2 right hip flexor strain in April that limited him to 100 games. Despite the rampant speculation, Robert said the noise didn’t affect him much.
“I don’t really pay too much attention to that,” Robert said. “My agent is the one who keeps me posted because I don’t have Twitter. I barely see social media. I just know what he tells me, and that’s it.”
General manager Chris Getz liked what he saw from Robert in spring training, particularly his patience at the plate.
“We’re going to support Luis, and I know that oftentimes he gets asked questions about whether he’s going to be traded, but I’ve been really impressed with how he’s been able to remain focused on his craft,” Getz said. “He’s very motivated to get out and get the season rolling for 2025 and show the baseball world what he’s capable of doing.”
Sox’ expectations
The Sox are looking to start fresh after their record-breaking 41-121 season in 2024.
Expectations are understandably low for them with a 2025 payroll of $58.6 million, according to Spotrac. But with Getz in his second full season in charge, there are still goals to achieve and steps to take in the rebuilding process. Getz understands that his team isn’t going to have much success on the field — the team enters Opening Day with a win total of 54.5 at BetMGM, the lowest preseason over/under for a team in the last 35 years. That begs the question: What does success look like for the Sox this season?
“We’ve got high internal expectations that [manager Will Venable] and the staff and myself are going to carry throughout the season,” Getz said. “We’ve got some leaders within this group that are going to support some of our younger players or lesser-experienced players.”
Roster moves
The Sox claimed infielder/outfielder Greg Jones off waivers from the Rockies and optioned him to Triple-A Charlotte.
Jones hit .269/.346/.460 with 16 home runs in 86 games for Albuquerque, the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate, in 2024.
u Reliever Justin Anderson was optioned to Charlotte. Getz said the move was about balancing out the number of righties and lefties in the bullpen.
u Outfielder Oscar Colas — once a prized prospect for the Sox — was designated for assignment.
u Outfielder Mike Tauchman (hamstring) and infielder Josh Rojas (right big toe) will start the season on the injured list. Getz said they could’ve been ready for Opening Day, but “there was no sense in pushing it.”