ST. LOUIS — The White Sox traded right-hander Dylan Cease for prospects in March, but general manager Chris Getz stopped right there.
Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was a different story, a media-guide cover boy, a budding superstar and the 26-year-old face of the franchise. Robert was not put up for auction in the first offseason of Getz’s rebuilding effort.
But perhaps he should be made available. And while Getz is at it, there are those in the industry suggesting he make prized left-hander Garrett Crochet, 24, available on the trade market, too.
The thinking goes like this: While the Sox’ roster at Double-A Birmingham is stocked with prospects, their roster at Triple-A Charlotte is thin. And even having Robert — provided he stays healthy — and Crochet on board during the next season or two won’t make the Sox a contender, barring an unforeseen spending spree in free agency.
Crochet, who entered play Saturday third in the American League in strikeouts in his first season as a starter, might bring a couple of top prospects in a trade. Robert might fetch an even bigger haul.
Keeping Robert and Crochet for 2025 might prevent a 100-loss season, such as the one in 2023 and the repeat the Sox are headed toward now, but attendance will suffer this season with or without them. And having them now won’t bring the Sox closer to a World Series, which should be the objective. Robert is under contract control for the next three seasons and Crochet for the next two, and their trade value will decrease with each year that passes.
If Getz is offered a deal he can’t refuse, there’s little reason for him not to make it. The last time the Sox rebuilt, they were mired in mediocrity. This time, they’re mired in muck.
‘‘Similar to the message from last fall and all offseason, we will be open-minded on anything to further set us up for future success,’’ Getz told the Sun-Times on Saturday.
One wrinkle facing the Sox this time is the new draft lottery, which prevents them — as a large-market team — from having a pick higher than 10th in 2025, even if they have the worst record this season. Teams are prohibited from receiving a selection in the lottery in consecutive years, a measure the players’ union pushed for in the collective-bargaining agreement to discourage the tanking that benefitted the Cubs, Nationals, Astros and Orioles in recent years.
The Orioles had four consecutive top-five picks, including two firsts and a second, in the first round of the draft in 2019-22, helping them build the contender they are now after years of suffering. But that can’t happen anymore.
The Orioles clicked on their picks and player development, and whether the Sox draft first or somewhere else in the top 10, they will be relying on scouting, drafting and player-development personnel who either have guided them to their current state or are inexperienced in new positions.
If they keep Robert and Crochet, they would be banking on a quicker rebuild than some think is possible.
Either way, this is where first-year director of player personnel Gene Watson, whom Getz added to his brain trust in large part for his connections, comes in. Watson is managing the trade-preparation phase less than three months from the deadline July 30, and you can be certain he and Getz
already are laying groundwork.
‘‘Take bids on everybody,’’ a former executive told the Sun-Times. ‘‘Over-ask; that’s what everybody does. . . . Shoot for the moon. If nobody bites, then get realistic just as the deadline approaches. No different than what they did with Cease.’’
It’s not the Sox, however, but the other clubs who would dictate the market and potential return in trades. Still, when it comes to Robert and Crochet, Getz won’t turn a deaf ear to offers.
‘‘Our farm system continues to move toward the top of the [majors],’’ Getz said, ‘‘and it is vital for the long-term health of the organization to look for ways to add to it.’’
