White Sox Just Made Two Trade Chips Way More Valuable
With the White Sox expected to be active at the trading deadline, the team will look very different one month from now. However, the White Sox just got a big boost in value for two players, as there are reports that the White Sox are willing to include cash in deals to unload Luis Robert Jr. and Andrew Benintendi.
This is something the White Sox haven’t done in the past, as they are typically on the side that is receiving the cash. Prior to this report, the value of Robert Jr. and Benintendi weren’t the highest. Now, it could help the White Sox net a valuable prospect in return.
Currently, Benintendi has .3 WAR and has 10 homeruns. When you combine this with a roughly 17 million dollar salary, those numbers aren’t great. However, if the White Sox are including 5-7 million on that deal, a player that is capable of hitting 20+ homeruns for 10 million a year with another year of control is much more valuable.
At this point, a team that could use an outfielder and isn’t on a payroll crunch could be interested in Benintendi, as he has a good track record in the major leagues and has postseason experience. When adding in some money to the deal, a team, especially one that is desperate, could be interested in giving up one of their top-10 prospects, as 10 or so million for Benintendi is much more affordable.
A team like the San Diego Padres, who sit just one game out of a Wild Card spot could be a landing spot, as they have played Gavin Sheets in the outfield in 24 games this season. The Padres are typically very aggressive at the deadline, so pairing Benintendi with a reliever could get the White Sox a player from their top-10. Perhaps the Padres would be willing to part with Kavares Tears, an intriguing outfield prospect from the 2024 draft. He is currently ranked as the Padres 7th best prospect.
Kavares Tears does it again!!
Home run #9 on the year for KT pic.twitter.com/CDcm2kL31O
— Vols in Pro Baseball (@ProBaseVols) June 29, 2025
Benintendi is an above league average hitter and is solid on the bases. While he doesn’t add much with the glove, he has tapped into the power again this year, as he has 10 homeruns in just 53 games. A team will find that very intriguing at the deadline, especially if money is involved.
As for Luis Robert Jr., it is a bit more complicated. While he has the pedigree from 2023 and prior, this year has been a lost cause. This season he has stolen 22 bases and played gold glove defense, but not much else has gone according to plan.
However, with two 20 million dollar club options the next two years, a team could be intrigued, as that wouldn’t be much if he can be halfway to his 2023 form. The White Sox will have to sell a team that he can still achieve that form, but adding a few million dollars a season to bring it down to 10-15 million could make it a worthwhile gamble for a team.
I don’t see the White Sox getting a top-100 prospect from a team for Robert Jr. anymore, even if they throw in money, but with the intrigue I could see them getting a top-5 prospect from a team, especially if money is included.
According to Bob Nightengale, the Mets and the Phillies have been keeping close tabs on Robert Jr. As they are both playoff teams, so they could be inclined to make a move. While both teams haven’t been shy about spending money, getting Robert Jr. on a better deal could net the White Sox a better prospect.
The Mets have plenty of hitters in their top-10 prospect list, as the White Sox may be able to pry away a Drew Gilbert, who is currently having a bit of a down season in AAA.
A healthy Drew Gilbert is a dangerous Drew Gilbert pic.twitter.com/IHPYIYT4Wk
— Diamond Vols (@DiamondVols) June 29, 2025
For the Phillies, they have some higher end talent in their top-five, as they have five guys in the MLB Pipeline top-100. To get one of those guys the White Sox may need to add another player or two. If they can, the Phillies have Justin Crawford, a highly regarded outfield prospect the White Sox should be targeting in a deal. While his value likely exceeds Robert’s, if the White Sox throw in some more players of need for the Phillies, you never know.
Justin Crawford has been fantastic so far:
.342 BA with an .851 OPS is great, but pair it with a 90.7% Z-Contact%, .414 OBP and 24 SB in 57 games, and now you have a great leadoff profile.
63% GB% remains extremely high, but:
– More line drives ✅
– 41.9% Hard-Hit% ✅
– All… pic.twitter.com/KnRyEXaPWl— LouisAnalysis (@LouisAnalysis) June 20, 2025
This deadline should be very interesting for the White Sox, but now with the White Sox willing to include money a deal to unload Robert Jr. or Andrew Benintendi, it could be much more profitable for the White Sox, as they should be able to get an interesting prospect back for both of them.