Staying with White Sox would be 'beautiful,' but Luis Robert Jr. knows he might not

GLENDALE, Ariz. — On one hand, finishing his career with the team that shelled out a $26 million bonus in 2017 to sign him as a top prospect from Cuba would be ‘‘beautiful,’’ White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. said Monday.

On the other, Robert knows where the rebuilding Sox are, coming off a combined 222 losses in the last two seasons with him patrolling center most of the time.

Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf will have no qualms about trimming Robert’s $15 million salary (with $20 million team options in 2026 and 2027). Robert’s name came up in trade talks during the offseason and probably will again during spring training.

If a deal isn’t made, talks could continue up to the midseason trade deadline. Robert is well aware of that.

‘‘This is my team right now,’’ Robert said through a translator on the Sox’ first day of full-squad workouts. ‘‘I’m just getting ready to fight for this team. If the moment comes when I have to move and play for another team, well, we’ll see.’’

You have to wonder why Robert would want to stay, knowing the Sox won’t compete with a roster that, depending on your view, looks even thinner now than it did a year ago.

There is no Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde, Michael Kopech, Paul DeJong or Tommy Pham. Offseason additions were minimal. The Opening Day starter is uncertain, as is most of the infield. Colson Montgomery, a shortstop who struggled in the minor leagues last season, will get every chance to make the team out of camp.

‘‘This has been my team throughout my whole professional career in the U.S., right?’’ Robert said. ‘‘It would be beautiful to have experienced playing for just one team, the team that gave me the opportunity to make my dream come true and the team that I’m trying to help pass this moment and hopefully play for when we are ready to compete.

‘‘That would be a really beautiful story. But that’s something I can’t control.’’

Countryman Jose Abreu always said he wanted to finish his career with the Sox, too. Abreu lasted nine seasons before signing with the Astros. This would be Robert’s sixth season on the South Side. He has averaged only 103 games since playing 56 of 60 games as a rookie in the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season.

Injuries have been a bugaboo, and therein lies the key element of Robert’s value in trade talks. Suitors would be banking on getting the 2023 All-Star version of Robert, who played 145 games and batted .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs that season.

A second hip-flexor injury limited Robert to 100 games last season, when he batted .224/.278/.379 with 14 homers. So it might behoove the Sox to let the season unfold and bank on Robert being healthy, laying off bad pitches and hiking his value.

Getting Robert off his feet by using him occasionally as a designated hitter might help him stay healthy, but Robert said he wants to play the outfield every day.

‘‘Once I come back from the injuries, I feel very good,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t have anything to hold me back. For whatever reason, those injuries have happened in the first month of the season, when it’s cold. Then I will probably have to adjust a little bit my game that first month because it’s cold and you have to make some changes.’’

Robert said that would entail being ‘‘smarter, run when I need to run. Knowing the situation of the game, when is the best time for me to push a little bit and try to help the team? Just doing that, being smarter.’’

‘‘Trying to get him through this first part of the season and being mindful of workload is going to be something that we have to do,’’ first-year manager Will Venable said. ‘‘What that looks like, we’ll talk to him. We’ll collaborate as a group to kind of figure out if that’s a day off here and there, if that’s a DH spot here and there. But make no mistake, he’s our center fielder.’’

That, he is. At least for now.