CHICAGO -- The White Sox exercised their $20 million option on the contract of Luis Robert Jr. for the 2026 season, a move general manager Chris Getz all but confirmed through comments after the team kept the center fielder at the Trade Deadline and after Robert suffered a Grade 2 strained left hamstring on Aug. 26 and didn’t play the rest of the season.
Now comes the question Robert and the team have been hearing and dealing with basically since the 2024 Trade Deadline: Will Robert be the team’s center fielder when Spring Training opens in Glendale, Ariz., in early February? Or will he be moved via trade?
“We're planning on him being in a White Sox uniform,” Getz said during a Tuesday evening Zoom. “What he did in the second half was very indicative of what he's capable of doing and how that can impact our team. You look at the production we had when he was in the lineup, and oftentimes, it helped us win baseball games.”
“This guy is a game changer,” manager Will Venable said of Robert on the same Zoom. “We all know that his skill set is incredible and he can make an impact on the field as much as anybody on this planet. To have him out there healthy, it makes all the difference in the world for us.”
Robert, 28, slashed .223/.297/.364 with 14 home runs, 53 RBIs, 52 runs scored and a career-high 33 stolen bases over 110 games in 2025. He posted a .298/.352/.456 slash line over 31 second-half games, although he was limited by two IL stints due to left hamstring strains.
Keeping Robert on the field is the first line of success beyond his five-tool ability.
“Obviously with the hamstring injury toward the end of the year, he missed some time,” Getz said. “But prior to that, with the adjustments he made going into the second half, that gave us confidence that this is someone we want to have in our lineup on a regular basis. We just need to find a way to get a productive six months of the season, and a lot of that is keeping him on the field.”
“We have a plan with performance,” Venable said. “We had it going into last year, we have it every year with Luis, understanding the risk [of] injury and really have a mindful plan with all of our players. Certainly, a heightened awareness of Luis and his injury history. We'll roll out a similar plan this year and make sure we're doing everything to put him in the best spot to be healthy and be productive.”
With 102 homers, 102 stolen bases, 115 doubles, 298 RBIs, 318 runs scored and continued solid defense in 577 games covering six seasons in Chicago, the star potential is there for Robert. It was on display throughout his outstanding 2023 campaign, with Robert trying to show that All-Star effort should be the norm and not the anomaly. This year, he joined Minnie Miñoso, Ray Durham and Alexei Ramírez as the only players in White Sox history to record 100 career home runs and 100 stolen bases.
This praise from Getz and Venable sounds promising, as do these possibilities for excellence. But Robert’s return for 2026 still isn’t a certainty.
“From the beginning, we've been open-minded,” Getz said. “If there are opportunities for us to strengthen the organization, we'll have those conversations. But as it stands today, we're very much preparing for having Luis Robert play center field."
Veteran left-hander Martín Pérez declined the $10 million mutual option for 2026 and will receive a $1.5 million buyout.
Pérez, 34, went 1-6 with a 3.54 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 56 innings over 11 games (10 starts) last season, his first with the Sox after agreeing to a one-year, $5 million contract on Jan. 21, which included the mutual option for ’26. He missed four months of the season with left elbow inflammation, and his season ended slightly early on Sept. 17 due to a left shoulder strain.
Getz will be looking for veteran arms to help balance the workload for the young White Sox starters.