Luis Robert is on fire.
The No. 4 prospect in the White Sox farm system has been scorching hot to start 2019, adding another ridiculous line to his season totals Monday with a homer, a triple, a single, three RBIs and three runs scored. These are nightly occurrences at this point for Robert at Class A Winston-Salem, and White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Friday that it likely won't be long before Robert is bumped up to a different level.
"We try to plot out, before the passion of the season takes over, so to speak, a rational plan for each guy's development and not vary from that until the guy forces it," he said. "You're seeing what Luis Robert is doing in High A right now, that may necessitate a change here in the not-too-distant future to add more challenges for him."
This is no attempt to project when Robert's next promotion will come. It could happen any day now with the way he's swinging the bat. The guy is slashing .400/.500/.907 with eight homers, 24 RBIs and eight stolen bases in only 19 games. Here's a look at what he did Monday:
But there are other moving parts to the process, chiefly that the White Sox system is loaded with outfield prospects. So many, in fact, that as they all advance through the system, it's becoming difficult to figure out where they'll play. Hahn has referred to that as "a good problem" to have, and surely he's right. The front office would much rather face the challenge of trying to find a place for a lot of talented players than not have enough of them.
But if Robert is destined for a rise in the system, who's going to take a backseat at Double-A Birmingham? That team's outfield boasts Luis Basabe, Luis Gonzalez and Blake Rutherford, all highly ranked prospects in their own right, as well as Micker Adolfo, though he went on the injured list Monday. Adolfo's recovery from Tommy John surgery is of interest considering his arm has been rated as the best in the organization, and the elbow soreness that sent him to the IL is certainly not good.
MLB
OK, what about a jump all the way to Triple-A Charlotte for Robert? That would seem unlikely considering building playing time is perhaps the biggest concern for the White Sox when it comes to Robert. They're not trying to rush him to the bigs and would figure to want him to see Double-A pitching before going to Triple-A. Remember, thanks to thumb injuries, Robert played in only 50 minor league games during the 2018 season, all at the Class A level. Plus, Charlotte's outfield is decently crowded, too, with the recently promoted Joel Booker playing alongside Charlie Tilson (who's got a .353 batting average) and Daniel Palka, both of whom surely have designs on getting back to the majors this season.
So where's the room for Robert? Of course, with someone as good as Robert, no one is suggesting the White Sox couldn't find room for him to be in the everyday lineup at any level. But the "good problem to have" is starting to be a bit of a problem as the White Sox try to keep these guys on their development plans and make the necessary promotions at the same time.
Hahn will still take 'em.
"We like those problems," Hahn said Friday. "(Farm director Chris Getz) and I had a 40-minute conversation about exactly that yesterday in terms of what they were thinking, in terms of how the ripple effect of certain moves are going to happen over the coming weeks or months. Other guys like Steele Walker at Kannapolis is doing extremely well and going to force his way up, which will have an effect. Again, fundamentally, we want to put these guys in the position to get at-bats and be challenged and be able to show progress. How and what levels we ultimately do that, we’ll figure it out. We’ve got some options."
The White Sox will soon have to unleash what they believe is the best solution to those good problems, as Robert's promotion is inevitable.
But what could one day follow is the White Sox dealing from some of that outfield depth. There are only three starting spots in the big league outfield, with Eloy Jimenez locked into one of them for a long time and Robert seeming to be on his way to similar status. That outfield depth in the minor leagues, should it remain strong, could be the solution to another problem: how to bring in a big name from outside the organization. As the previously loaded free-agent class for next winter continues to dwindle with contract extensions getting handed out around the game, a trade now seems a more likely route for Hahn and his front office to go to inject this rebuilding effort with premium talent.
That's further down the road than Robert's next promotion, however. How the White Sox arrange the current puzzle for that move is a more pressing concern than future trade scenarios. Stay tuned.
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