Though Luis Robert Jr. has made it clear he wants to remain with the White Sox for his entire career, he’s also aware that the business of baseball will largely take that option out of his hands.

Even with the Sox exercising the $20 million option for the 2026 season, it’s not guaranteed that Robert will even break spring training wearing a Sox uniform.

“Hopefully, I can stay with this team for a long time, and if that is not the case, then I’ll do my best with another team,” Robert said through an interpreterinterpreterinterpreter Wednesday on a Zoom with reporters.

Robert has been unable to replicate his 2023 All-Star season, when he batted .264/.315/.542 with a .857 OPS and 38 homers, due to his own struggles at the plate and injuries that limited his availability.

Throughout his tenure with the Sox, Robert has seen the highs — a 2021 ALDS appearance — and the nadir — three consecutive 100-plus-loss seasons for the first time in team history. Despite the ignominy associated with being part of the 2024 Sox, Robert has remained steadfast in his longing to remain a Sox amid rampant trade speculation.

Robert also caught a rhythm in the second half, showing more consistent glimpses of the two-way talent he is at his best, and batted .298/.352/.456 with a .808 OPS. General manager Chris Getz said the team was encouraged by Robert’s second-half resurgence. What powered his success was his simplified approach at the plate.

“During the first half, I was trying to do too much,” Robert said. “And sometimes I was over-swinging. And sometimes when you do that, you don’t see the ball the whole way through, and you pull your face out, and you start making mistakes.”

Now, it’s on Robert and the team to see if they can get that impact from the center fielder over a full season. Robert said he feels 100% recovered from the Grade 2 hamstring strain that ended his season in August.

Robert said he needs to be more cautious on the base paths to avoid excessive wear and tear, which tends to lead to those soft-tissue injuries that take him out of the lineup. Without good health, none of his adjustments matter.

He was also fond of the Sox’ second-half performance. He saw potential in the young nucleus of Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Kyle Teel. The young players imbued the team with much-needed energy after a disappointing past two seasons of Sox baseball. He’s motivated by the team’s aspirations to compete for a playoff spot.

“As a professional, you need to focus on doing your job,” Robert said. “At this level, if you do what you’re supposed to do, you’re helping your team. That’s the biggest motivation you can have, just trying to do your job as best as you can and perform and that way you can help your team.”

Kyle Williams

Chicago Sun-TimesSports reporter, Report for America