Luis Robert Jr. feels ‘a weight off your shoulders' after staying with Chicago White Sox at trade deadline

Chicago Tribune

2 days ago

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. knew there was a possibility he would be traded.
'But my hope was always to stay here,' Robert said through an interpreter Friday while sitting in the visitors dugout at Angel Stadium.
Robert remained with the Sox as Thursday's trade deadline passed.
'Definitely you feel like a weight off your shoulders now,' he said. 'Relief and just knowing I'm going to stay here for the rest of the year is something that makes me feel very happy.'
Robert continued his productive second half Friday, going 1-for-3 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run in the 6-3 victory against the Los Angeles Angels. After hitting a sacrifice fly to center in the fourth inning, he led off the eighth with a single, stole second and scored on Lenyn Sosa's single to extend the Sox lead to 5-3.
Before the game, Robert said he was 'ready for any possibility' as the trade deadline got closer.
Teammates were thrilled Robert wasn't on the move.
'It was awesome,' starting pitcher Davis Martin told the Tribune on Friday. 'When he got on the bus, we started clapping. Excited, hooting and hollering.
'Everybody really enjoys being around him and being in his presence. To have him in the locker room still is great. It's exciting and always fun when (No.) 88 is playing center field for you.'
Robert appreciated the support from his teammates.
'It has been the only organization that I've been at, the only organization I know,' he said. 'And to be honest with you, I just wanted to stay here because I like the group here and would like to be part of this group, this organization moving forward.'
Manager Will Venable was glad to continue writing Robert's name in the Sox lineup.
'Happy we were able to keep Luis,' Venable said before Friday's game. 'I know there's obvious interest, and one of the narratives going into this deadline was what was going to happen with him.
'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.'
Venable described the final days before the deadline from a managerial perspective as wanting 'to see what the unknown has to offer, but at the same time we're so busy trying to focus on the Phillies and the Cubs before that.'
'For me, it was about baseball,' Venable added. 'At the same time knowing we have some guys who are in the news a lot and had the potential to be moved. Wanted to make sure they're in a good spot and check in with them. Otherwise, just focus on winning games.'
Robert has aided in that area. Entering Saturday he was hitting .400 (14-for-35) with two home runs, nine RBIs, six stolen bases and 13 runs in 10 games since the All-Star break.
'Luis is an outstanding player, a great guy, great contributor in the clubhouse and obviously on the field,' Venable said. 'Love to have him, certainly glad we've got him beyond the break.
'Everybody wants a guy like Luis on their team.'
Robert, who overall is hitting .215 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, 28 stolen bases and 41 runs in 89 games, didn't let the speculation become a distraction.
As for what's next, the Sox hold a $20 million option for 2026 (and another for 2027) on Robert with $2 million buyouts.
'We anticipate him being here,' general manager Chris Getz said Thursday. 'If we felt otherwise, maybe we go a different course. We feel like we're continuing to strengthen the infrastructure on the hitting side. We're not quite there yet. We're going to continue to exhaust our efforts.
'And establishing ourselves as a top hitting environment, that's a big part of this offseason and the coming years. And we feel like Luis Robert is going to be a part of that and he's really going to benefit with having the resources and the support that's needed — and most importantly he's a talented player.
'Elite bat speed, elite foot speed. This is a player that we feel like has a lot of great days ahead of him.'
Robert, who turns 28 on Sunday, is focusing on what he can control.
'I'm just ready to perform and keep doing my job,' he said. 'At the end of the day, they have to do what they have to do and I have to do what I'm supposed to do.'
The Sox placed reliever Dan Altavilla on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right lat strain. The right-hander has a 2.36 ERA, .187 opponents average, two saves and 17 strikeouts in 25 appearances.
In the corresponding move, the Sox recalled pitcher Owen White from Triple-A Charlotte.
Additionally, the Sox returned pitcher Jesse Scholtens from his injury rehabilitation assignment at Charlotte, reinstated him from the 60-day IL and optioned him to Charlotte. Scholtens had been on the 60-day IL since undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in March 2024.
The Sox announced infielder Ryan Noda was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.