Sox prospect Robert's skills already showing at Class A Winston-Salem
It's still early in the season, but the White Sox already have the look of a team that needs plenty of help.
Luis Robert is going to provide some, but when?
"One day at a time," said Chris Getz, the Sox's director of payer development. "He's off to a good start. I'm just happy to see the progress so far."
A prized international prospect that joined the White Sox in May of 2017 after agreeing to a $26 million signing bonus, Robert has put up some eye-popping early numbers with high Class A Winston-Salem.
Heading into Tuesday night's game against Wilmington, the 21-year-old center was 11-for-21 (.524) with 2 doubles, 4 home runs, 12 RBI and 3 stolen bases in the first 5 games of the season.
"He's an extremely talented young man who hopefully will have the ability to put a lot of at-bats under his belt this season, which is really, really important," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.
Last year, his first full professional season, Robert was limited to 50 games and 168 at-bats due to a sprained ligament in his left thumb.
Healthy this year, look for the five-tool talent to make a quick climb through the Sox's system if he stays healthy.
"You evaluate the tools first, and obviously he grades out very well across the board," Getz said. "Then you see the production, what type of production you're seeing, and obviously we're seeing power numbers, doubles and home runs, he's putting quality at-bats together.
"But from an assessment standpoint, how are those at-bats coming together? What pitches is he swinging at? What pitches is he laying off? Now that they're going to start challenging him with different stuff, how does he react to it? How does he react to the different approaches these pitchers are going to take with him?"
Where's Jon Jay?
When the White Sox signed Jon Jay to a one-year contract in January, the obvious connection was the outfielder's close friendship with Manny Machado, a free agent at the time.
The Sox fell short in their bid to sign Machado, declining to offer $300 million guaranteed.
As for Jay, he opened the season on the injured list (hip, groin) and the White Sox are not sure when he's going to be ready to play. The 34-year-old outfielder would need a minor-league rehab assignment before joining the Sox.
"I don't have a ballpark figure for you," manager Rick Renteria said of Jay's timeline for a return. "I'd be lying to you if I did. I do know that he's been progressing positively at this point, but we're still monitoring it."