Luis Robert Jr. is on a hot streak and the Chicago White Sox are hoping the center fielder's recent stretch is enough to entice buyers at the trade deadline. However, starting pitching will almost always take precedence on the trade market, especially this time of year, which is why veteran Adrian Houser could wind up being the biggest piece traded from the White Sox by July 31.
Houser, 32, has been surprisingly great since joining the White Sox back in May, tallying eight quality starts in 10 outings so far in 2025. The right-handed pitcher won't be asked to lead a rotation down the stretch, but any contender searching for another starter who can eat innings and keep his team in games will have Houser on their radar as the trade deadline approaches.
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White Sox more likely to trade Adrian Houser than Luis Robert Jr.
Houser's 1.89 ERA since May 20 is fifth-best among all MLB starting pitchers. The veteran journeyman has posted a 1.8 fWAR, ranking in the top-10, and Chicago is chomping at the bit to get an unexpected return at the trade deadline for a pending free agent who doesn't figure into its future plans.
Houser began the season in the Minors and was released on May 15, after he recorded a 5.03 ERA in 39.1 innings at Triple-A with the Texas Rangers organization. Now, after a quick turnaround to his season, MLB experts believe Houser has a better chance to be moved by the White Sox than their once-projected star in Robert Jr.
In ESPN's latest trade deadline article, Buster Olney firmly planted Houser as a second-tier option in the trade market. More importantly, he doesn't believe Robert Jr. will have a new team once the trade deadline passes.
Olney wrote the following on the chances of Houser and Robert Jr. being traded.
The 32-year-old right-hander was released by the Rangers in May but has been very effective since joining the White Sox rotation, giving up only two homers in 57⅔ innings and generating an ERA+ of 226. Nobody is taking those numbers at face value, but evaluators do view him as a market option.
But it seems unlikely that Luis Robert Jr. -- once projected as a centerpiece of this deadline-- will be dealt, unless a team makes a big bet on a player who has either underperformed or been hurt this year.
While Houser isn't a household name and is currently pitching well above his own abilities, the right-hander does have a decent track record that may be attractive to contenders looking for more depth.
Adrian Houser's track record
Houser's first full season in the big leagues came in 2019 with the Milwaukee Brewers. He pitched both in the rotation and out of the bullpen, posting a 3.72 ERA over 111.1 innings. From 2019-2023, Houser was a consistently above average pitcher, coming in at a 4.04 ERA in 523.2 innings of work. The righty made 97 starts during that five-year span, and he was even more effective out of the bullpen, as Houser had a 4.29 ERA as a starter and a 1.38 ERA in 23 relief appearances. His best season came in 2021, when he had a 3.22 ERA in a career-high 142.1 innings with the Brewers.
So far in 2025, Houser has only failed to pitch beyond the fifth inning once, and that came in his most recent start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. He allowed three earned runs in 4.1 innings before he was chased out, but that's a sign of how good he's been because that was by far Houser's worst start of the year with the White Sox.
Houser has pitched against six teams that are currently above .500 and in those games the veteran has recorded an impressive 1.45 ERA in 37.1 innings.
Why the White Sox could hold on to Luis Robert Jr.
If the White Sox don't like the offers they receive from teams by the end of the month, then they could always bring their once-dynamic center fielder back in 2026 and hope he restores his value by next summer.
The White Sox have a $20 million club option for Robert Jr. after this year. That price may seem too steep at the moment, but there's certainly the chance that he ends the regular season on a tear and becomes a hot commodity as soon as this offseason.
The 27-year-old returned from the IL on July 8, and if you include his last game in June he's 13-for-37 in his last 12 contests with three home runs and three stolen bases. Maybe teams won't want to pay close to what the White Sox are asking for now, but if he keeps it up and returns to his 2023 form, then suitors may be more inclined to get a deal done following the 2025 season, knowing the White Sox will be willing to eat money from his contract.