TAMPA -- Rarely does anything get by White Sox fans.
So, when center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was not in the starting lineup prior to a 4-3 loss to the Rays on Tuesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the theories for his absence began to fly.
Was it time for "hug watch," with the Trade Deadline approaching quickly on July 31?
Could it be some sort of minor malady?
After all, Robert was 11-for-28 with eight RBIs during his eight-game hitting streak entering Tuesday, leaving him only two home runs and six stolen bases away from joining the 100/100 club for his career. The White Sox will also have a team off-day on Thursday before hosting the Cubs.
Well, none of the above was the accurate answer, according to manager Will Venable.
“Scheduled day off for Luis,” said Venable hours before his team’s four-game winning streak came to a close. “Yeah, just keep him plugged in. The way he was running around out there in Pittsburgh and a hot day yesterday, just want to keep him fresh and feeling good."
It’s certainly not a reach to pair a briefly unexplained Robert absence with the possibility of a trade. The five-tool talent has been discussed in such circles since last season at this time, with personal questions about whether he will stay or go probably nearing the same 100 level as his home runs and stolen bases.
Teams are interested in Robert, who still flashes Gold Glove-caliber defense in center and swiped 25 bags to rank him fifth in the American League even while his average rested below .200 until this recent hot streak. His contract includes team options at $20 million for 2026 and 2027, with a $2 million buyout. With Andrew Benintendi’s $17.1 million salary being the only substantial number on the 2026 payroll, according to Spotrac, the White Sox could bring back Robert and potentially go through this process again.
There was a time when the 27-year-old was viewed as the last trade piece to build the core for this current rebuild, following deals involving Garrett Crochet, Michael Kopech and Dylan Cease, to name a few. Players of course will continue to come to the White Sox from the Minors, the Draft and international signings within that ongoing roster build.
Now, general manager Chris Getz, who is in Tampa with the White Sox, probably will be looking for the best possible deal if the team moves on from one of their organization stalwarts when healthy. Right-handed pitcher Adrian Houser, who faces the Cubs in Friday’s series opener at Rate Field, is another veteran drawing interest, featuring a 1.89 ERA over his 10 White Sox starts.
Benintendi also would be in that grouping, although with $32.2 million contractually due combined over the next two years, along with what’s owed on his $17.1 million in ‘25, the White Sox might have to chip in money to make that happen.
Benintendi, who singled twice on Tuesday and has been traded twice before, literally doesn’t spend any time thinking about rumors.
“I’ve got no clue what’s going on with that,” Benintendi told MLB.com. “I don’t know if I’m playing well enough to get traded. Whatever happens, happens.
“To be honest, I get the business side of it. I really don’t care either way. So, my job is to show up and play and if that’s here or somewhere else it’s going to be the same the whole time.”
Rookie Colson Montgomery (White Sox No. 4 prospect) launched his first career home run to right field on a 1-1 pitch leading off the seventh against Bryan Baker, and he’s an individual who won’t be going anywhere but third base or shortstop for the White Sox in the foreseeable future.
Veteran Mike Tauchman, who had two hits and a run scored, is under team control as arbitration-eligible for ‘26 and has been valuable on and off the field for the White Sox.
Getz seemingly would have to be quite moved to make a move with the talented leader. The White Sox (36-66) still have plenty of work to do in reshaping this franchise and that work will involve key guys moving from this close-knit group.
“We all know what's coming up, but we've all done a really good job of just keeping our head down and playing one night at a time,” Montgomery said. “That's what our coaches tell us.
“You're just playing for tonight. You're playing to win tonight. It's a business. They gotta do what they gotta do, but everyone here is on the same page and I think that's why we're having success.