The White Sox are poised to be sellers at the trade deadline once again. However, unlike other teams expected to sell, Chicago has fewer attractive pieces left, due in part to earlier trades in the rebuild and the hefty contracts tied to several remaining veterans.
Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic report that White Sox general manager Chris Getz is willing to include cash in potential trades to help offset the salaries of the team’s two highest-paid players, Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr.
Both players carry question marks, but Benintendi, in particular, is expected to be a tough sell on the trade market. The 31-year-old outfielder is still owed $16.5 million in 2026 and $14.5 million in 2027 — the final two years of the five-year, $75 million deal that made him the richest player in White Sox history.
Unfortunately for the White Sox, the former Gold Glove winner is no longer a quality defender. His -5 Outs Above Average rank in the bottom sixth percentile in the MLB, while his arm strength also ranks near the bottom half of the league.
Benintendi’s value lies in his left-handed bat, and while he’s had a solid season for the White Sox, it’s unlikely teams will pay a premium for what amounts to league-average production.
Benintendi is slashing .244/.305/.450 with eight homers and 29 RBIs. However, the numbers suggest he has run into some bad luck this season. His xwOBA (.359) and expected slugging percentage (.513) are each above league average. But given his recent injury history, it’s understandable why the White Sox feel the need to include cash in any potential Benintendi trade.
Robert, who turns 28 on August 3rd, is in the midst of one of his worst offensive seasons of his career. The White Sox centerfielder is slashing .188/.271/.310 with seven homers and 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.
However, 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. Robert 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.
For potential suitors, he comes with risk. But if he can return to that form, it’s a gamble that could pay off in a big way. The White Sox tried to trade Robert this offseason, but opted to hold onto him when their asking price wasn’t met. Now, Getz could be paying the price, given that Robert’s poor offense production has lowered his value even further.
The White Sox could opt to hold onto Robert for the rest of the season and explore a trade this offseason. But that scenario also carries risk — namely, having to pick up his $20 million option for 2026 or potentially losing him for nothing in free agency.
As things currently stand, Adrian Houser and Mike Tauchman appear to be the White Sox’s most appealing trade chips. Aaron Civale could also garner interest from teams in need of a back-end starter to provide innings down the stretch.
