The White Sox are expected to be active at this year’s trade deadline; however, according to one MLB insider, a player many expected to be moved might actually stay on the South Side.
Trade rumors have been surrounding Luis Robert Jr. since the offseason, with a recent report indicating that the White Sox were willing to include cash in a potential trade.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the White Sox have been holding out for Luis Robert Jr. to establish his trade value. But with his recent struggles and a left hamstring injury that landed him on the 10-day IL, a deadline deal now appears unlikely.
“You need two things for that, health and production, and right now candidly, Robert has neither of those things,” Morosi said during an MLB Network appearance when asked about the chances of Robert being traded. “I tend to think it’s an unlikely situation he gets moved at the deadline.”
Robert, who turns 28 on August 3rd, is in the midst of one of the worst offensive seasons of his career. The White Sox centerfielder is slashing .185/.270/.313 with a 31.4% strikeout rate that ranks in the bottom four percent in baseball. Robert’s .311 xwOBA also ranks in the bottom third of the league.
Robert could still draw interest thanks to his Gold-Glove caliber defense in center field and 26 stolen bases, which rank near the top of the American League. He has also increased his walk rate to nearly 10% on the season, which is on pace to be a career high. But a .581 OPS is still a tough eyesore for other teams to overlook.
Robert is earning $15 million this season and has two club options for 2026 and 2027, each worth $20 million. He’s already proven he can perform at an All-Star level—most notably with a 38-home run campaign in 2023.
However, Robert has a history of lower-body injuries, making Wednesday’s scare particularly concerning. In 2023, he landed on the 10-day IL with a left MCL sprain, and in 2021, he missed significant time due to a right hip flexor strain.
The Rockies and White Sox look ahead to this year's Trade Deadline 🤔@jonmorosi weighs in on each team's top trade pieces.#MLBCentral pic.twitter.com/68yDOW9LVE
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 1, 2025
While Robert continues to trend in the wrong direction, Morosi added that there is one overlooked White Sox player who could draw a lot of attention at the deadline.
Adrian Houser has emerged as one of the most consistent pitchers in the American League since joining the White Sox in May. In seven starts, he has posted a 1.90 ERA across 42.2 innings with 31 strikeouts and 14 walks. During that stretch, he has gone 3-2 with a 1.17 WHIP. His recent performance could catch the eye of several contenders looking to bolster their rotation.
“He’s been around competitive teams, you go back to his time with the Brewers, the Mets, he’s been around competitive situations,” Morosi said. “Expiring contract, rebuilding team, all of a sudden, I think we can retire the Luis Robert conversation right now and say let’s focus instead on Adrian Houser. It may be a rare trade within the city of Chicago to a team like the Cubs…they need some starting pitching right now.”
