One of the driving forces behind the trade that sent Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets was money.
The White Sox freed up $20 million that Robert was owed while adding a player in Luisangel Acuña, who has five-plus years of control. In fact, when White Sox general manager Chris Getz met the media, he cited that as one of the reasons he pulled the trigger on the deal.
“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 discussing Acuña. “We have an opportunity here, and we can provide that runway to show off his talent and his ability.”
Getz claimed that Acuña was a player that the Mets were hesitant to give up, given his high ceiling and versatility across the diamond. He also emphasized that Acuña was squeezed by a Mets roster in win-now mode, with playoff aspirations limiting his opportunities for consistent playing time, opportunities he will now have on the White Sox.
All of that sounds fine and well, but Robert’s departure still leaves a major void in the outfield. Getz said the front office plans to reinvest the $20 million in newfound financial flexibility back into the roster. This will likely come in the form of another outfielder.
As things stand, Brooks Baldwin, Andrew Benintendi, Derek Hill, Everson Pereira, and Tristan Peters are the only outfielders currently on the roster.
Hill is currently the fifth-highest player on the roster, despite making just $900,000. However, his career .629 OPS across six MLB seasons doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence as an everyday option.
Baldwin settled into a utility role last season, with his outfield defense remaining a clear area for improvement. Benintendi’s defense has also deteriorated in recent years, making him better suited for a full-time designated hitter role.
Pereira currently looks like the favorite to start in center field, but may have to split time with Acuña depending on how the White Sox want to structure their infield. Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth have the middle infield covered, while Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas are penciled in at the corner spots. The White Sox also have Lenyn Sosa, who led the team in home runs last season, coming off the bench.
Unless Sosa gets traded, Acuña may see the bulk of his playing time in the outfield.
To add depth, the front office also signed Dustin Harris and former first-round pick Jarred Kelenic to minor league deals.
Harris and Kelenic will get opportunities in camp to compete for starting roles, but the White Sox recent strategy of targeting former high-end prospects, like Kelenic, Pereira, and Acuña, has produced limited returns. While it’s possible all three players could pan out, the White Sox leaning on a “hope everyone has a career year” approach hardly resembles a sustainable formula for winning.
With newfound financial flexibility, Getz could look to reinvest in a free agent such as Michael Conforto, though that option comes with clear risk. The 32-year-old is coming off a down season in which he hit .199 with a .637 OPS and just 12 home runs.
If the White Sox fail to add another outfielder, it’s difficult to envision meaningful improvement from last season—especially with several young hitters potentially facing regression as opposing pitchers adjust.
Starting pitching also remains a priority. The White Sox are still in need of a reliable innings-eater and have been linked to free-agent right-hander Griffin Canning as a possible option.
That $20 million could be enough to get both deals done in theory, but there are still plenty of question marks for the White Sox as the offseason continues.
