We are just two days away until prized international phenom Luis Robert is officially eligible to sign with a team. While there are a handful of teams that are big time contenders to earn Robert’s talent, it sounds like the White Sox are the odds on favorite as of now.
.@JonHeyman to @mullyhanley on Luis Robert: 'Be a surprise if he went somewhere else' other than White Sox https://t.co/oV2snpEG2m pic.twitter.com/rvhk4CLHmO
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) May 15, 2017
After hearing what Jon Heyman had to say about Robert and the White Sox, it is hard not to get excited; however, anything can happen and there are still three teams in particular that should be at least a threat to snag Robert away from the South Side.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals look to be the biggest contender aside from the White Sox to sign Robert. With the Cardinals being docked two draft picks in this June’s MLB Draft, they will be looking to free agency to bring in new talent. They have the money to spend as well, and it has been reported that the Cardinals will bid hard on Robert’s services. However, recent news broke yesterday that should calm White Sox fan’s nerves a bit.
.@LangoschMLB on Luis Robert: "While I expect the #STLCards to be aggressive, I also expect there will be a threshold they won't exceed."
— Kevin Wheeler Show (@WheelerShow101) May 17, 2017
Both Kevin Wheeler and Jennifer Langosch cover the Cardinals, and while they are expected to spend big, it sounds like they are not looking to get into an all out bidding war with another team. This favors the White Sox immensely, as Rick Hahn has repeatedly hinted at them going hard after Robert. Reports have started to surface that the number people are bidding is already over $20MM. Time will tell how big that number grows in the upcoming days.
San Diego Padres
With the Padres in a rebuild of their own, Luis Robert has been linked to them for the past few months. With their outfield depth arguably in worse shape than the White Sox, they were even the favorite just a few short months ago. However, a big red flag popped up when it was reported that GM A.J. Preller did not attend the private workout that the Padres held for Robert a few weeks ago. This could honestly turn out to not be that big of a deal. Perhaps Preller just trusts his best scouts and feels comfortable in them doing their job. It seems a little strange though that the head of the Padres front office would not be there in person to watch Robert personally work out for the team. Regardless of the reason, the Padres should not be taken lightly once May 20th rolls around.
Houston Astros
While a top threat to the White Sox, it would surprise me the most if Robert decided to sign with Houston. The trio of Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick and George Springer is one of the better outfields in baseball as is. And with stud prospect Kyle Tucker just a year away from the show, it would be odd to see Houston go all out for Robert. Nevertheless, when a talent like this comes around, teams with money would be stupid not to at least make a solid offer. Maybe the wide open championship window for Houston will entice Robert to lean that way. And while it would surprise me that Robert winds up in Houston, they are most definitely in play.
Why The White Sox Should Remain The Favorite
While the Cardinals, Padres and Astros should all make lucrative offers to Robert, the White Sox just make too much sense at the end of the day.
Let’s look at the factors.
- Willingness to get into a bidding war with other teams? Check.
- Cuban connection? (Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada) Check.
- Big need in the outfield? Check.
- Age (19-years-old) fits into the White Sox rebuild plan? Check.
It seems that a Luis Robert marriage with the South Side is destined to happen. And while it still is not a for sure thing, it is the most logical scenario out there.
