Let’s just say Luis Robert Jr. got an early birthday present. The possibility of a trade wasn’t lost on him. He saw it coming from far away, but it never arrived. Before Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels, Robert admitted he was “ready for any possibility” as the trade deadline inched closer. However, he was relieved when the deadline passed and he remained a White Sox.
Robert turns 28 this Sunday, and right now, he’s feeling both relieved and emotional to still be in Chicago. He was sitting in the visitors’ dugout at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Friday when he opened up about the trade that thankfully never happened.
“Relief and just knowing I’m going to stay here for the rest of the year is something that makes me feel very happy,” he said, before further adding, “But my hope was always to stay here.”
Robert had a solid outing that day. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a stolen base, and a run as the white Sox notched a 6-3 victory over the Angels. During the fourth inning, he went deep and hit a sacrifice fly to earn a run. Following that, in the eighth inning, he led off with a single, stole second base, and also scored on a hit by Lenny Sosa to give his team a 5-3 lead.
White Sox manager Will Venable was just as glad to keep Roberts in. “Happy we were able to keep Luis,” he admitted. “Glad we were able to keep him, and also glad the deadline is behind us and these guys can continue to focus on playing good baseball, which we continued to do leading up to the deadline. All good stuff.”
As of Saturday, Robert has hit .400 (14-for-35) with 2 home runs, 9 RBIs, and 6 stolen bases across 10 games since the second half of the season began. It makes sense why Venable said, “Glad we’ve got him beyond the break.” But why did the trade not happen in the first place, despite all the rumors?
How did Luis Robert Jr remain in Chicago despite trade rumors?
Well, the White Sox’s asking price for Robert Jr. is a major league player and several prospects. Now, that’s a big ask given that he hasn’t really looked like an All-Star player for two years. It’s not like the teams don’t see potential in him. The contending teams would want to bring him in; however, the asking price has to be reasonable.
Clubs like the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres were reported as suitors for Robert Jr. However, the Phillies took a step back after they added Harrison Bader to the mix. Whereas the Padres used their farm system to materialize a deal with the Athletics for Mason Miller and JP Sears. And the Mets? They were just not in because of the white Sox’ asking price.
But then again, the white Sox are in no hurry to ship Robert Jr. off. For how long do you think Luis will remain in Chicago?
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