The White Sox made headlines with the trade that sent Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets, and while the move raised some eyebrows, it’s clear that money played a central role. By offloading Robert’s $20 million salary, Chicago bought itself some financial flexibility-but at the cost of its best outfielder.
In return, the Sox landed Luisangel Acuña, a high-upside, versatile infielder who comes with over five years of team control. That kind of long-term asset is exactly what GM Chris Getz was targeting.
“We’re talking about a player with five-plus years of control, one of the younger, exciting players in our game who hasn’t really gotten a runway at the major league level,” Getz said when introducing Acuña. And he’s right-Acuña hasn’t had a real shot to prove himself in the bigs.
Stuck behind a win-now Mets roster, his opportunities were limited. Now, with the White Sox in a different phase of their competitive cycle, the runway is wide open.
Getz also noted that the Mets were reluctant to part with Acuña, which speaks to the kind of talent they believe he has. The White Sox are betting on that upside, and they’re hoping consistent playing time will unlock it.
But let’s not sugarcoat it-moving Robert leaves a massive hole in the outfield. The front office says it plans to reinvest that $20 million into the roster, and all signs point to another outfielder being a priority.
Right now, the outfield depth chart is thin, to put it mildly. Brooks Baldwin, Andrew Benintendi, Derek Hill, Everson Pereira, and Tristan Peters are the names on the board-and none of them are locks to be everyday contributors.
Hill, despite being the fifth-highest-paid player on the roster at just $900,000, carries a career .629 OPS across six seasons. That’s not the kind of production you build around.
Baldwin, who found a niche as a utility guy last year, still has work to do defensively in the outfield. Benintendi’s glove has taken a step back, and at this point, he might be better suited as a full-time DH.
That leaves Pereira as the current favorite to start in center field, but even that’s fluid. Depending on how the infield shakes out, Acuña could end up seeing significant time in the outfield.
Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth appear locked in up the middle, with Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas manning the corners. Lenyn Sosa-last year’s team leader in home runs-is expected to come off the bench, unless he’s moved in another deal.
If he stays, Acuña may have to find his innings elsewhere, and the outfield could be the landing spot.
To add some depth, the Sox brought in Dustin Harris and former first-rounder Jarred Kelenic on minor league deals. Both will get a shot to earn a roster spot in camp.
Chicago’s recent trend of targeting former top prospects-Kelenic, Pereira, Acuña-suggests a strategy built on upside. But let’s be honest: that’s a risky way to build a roster.
Betting on bounce-backs and breakout seasons from multiple players isn’t exactly a blueprint for sustained success. It’s more like rolling the dice and hoping everything hits at once.
With that $20 million now freed up, Getz has some options. A name like Michael Conforto has been floated as a potential target.
But even that comes with caveats. Conforto is coming off a rough season-he hit just .199 with a .637 OPS and 12 home runs.
That’s not the kind of production that screams “cornerstone.”
And it’s not just the outfield that needs attention. Starting pitching remains a glaring need.
The White Sox still lack a dependable innings-eater, and they’ve been linked to free-agent right-hander Griffin Canning. In theory, that $20 million could cover both an outfield bat and a mid-rotation starter.
But in practice, there are still a lot of holes to fill and not a lot of certainty.
The bottom line? This is a team in transition.
The Robert trade gives them some breathing room financially and a high-ceiling prospect in Acuña, but it also leaves them with more questions than answers. If the Sox don’t make another significant move or two before Opening Day, it’s hard to see how they take a meaningful step forward in 2026.