Luis Robert Jr., you are still a South Sider
The White Sox are officially rolling the dice by exercising the $20 million club option on Luis Robert Jr. for the 2026 season. The team chose this over a $2 million buyout,
despite his struggles and injury history, which has seen him play in only 210 of 324 possible games since the start of 2024. Robert, who is only 28, set a career high with 33 stolen bases in 2025 and also recorded a career-best 9.3 percent walk rate. However, his first half of 2025 was a train wreck, hitting only .190/.275/.325 over 79 games. He saw significant improvement in the second half, slashing .298/.352/.456 over 31 games until the rest of the season was cut short by a Grade 2 hamstring strain. It seems the front office believes that his elite tools and flashes of a superstar remain worth the investment. Chicago also retains another $20 million option for 2027.
On the flip side, the White Sox and veteran left-hander Martín Pérez are parting ways after both sides declined his $10 million mutual option for next season. Pérez will collect a $1.5 million buyout on his way to free agency.
The final two players who elected free agency are LHP Tyler Alexander and RHP Miguel Castro. Fans likely remember Alexander as a bullpen staple and holding our collective breaths every time he appeared on the mound. He went 5-14 with a 4.98 ERA in 52 games. If the name Miguel Castro doesn’t ring a bell, you’re not alone. The veteran hurler logged only six innings in May before hitting the 60-day IL with a patellar tendon tear.
New coaches on the horizon
Chicago is getting some new blood for key roles following a coaching staff shake-up. Yesterday, the team officially announced the hiring of Zach Bove as the new pitching coach, replacing Ethan Katz. In 2025, Bove served as the assistant pitching coach/director of major league strategy for the Kansas City Royals. Bove, 37, helped lead the Royals to a 3.73 team ERA, good for sixth overall in the majors.
The coach has had a unique journey to the big leagues. Bove played college ball as a first baseman for Central Florida Community College and Flagler College in St. Augustine. Then, he spent time as a high school hitting coach before transitioning to the mound with Central Florida. His first professional job came with the Minnesota Twins in 2019.
Chicago is expected to officially name Derek Shoman the big league hitting coach later this week. Shoman is a local product, attending Glenbard South High School, and a fun fact: according to his freshman athletic bio at Judson University, he grew up a White Sox fan! Shoman spent the 2025 campaign as the assistant hitting coach with the Miami Marlins. Before that, he was with the Twins and spent several years with the Schaumburg Boomers in various roles.
Both coaches are coming from outside the house with no apparent previous connection to Chris Getz. Personally, I would rather have seen us snag some talent from a top 10 organization, but for now, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. They both appear to adopt a modern, development-focused approach, emphasizing a more data-driven strategy. Stay tuned.
SoxFest is back, baby
The tickets and dates for SoxFest dropped this morning.
The team hosted a reimagined SoxFest in January 2025, far from the jam-packed events of yesteryear at the Hyatt and Hilton. I did a complete review on it after attending as a fellow fan, which you can read all about here. It seems that for 2026, they have revamped it yet again with another new format. Friday is now an exclusive, season ticket holder-only event, with Saturday being open to all fans. There are two ticket options available for Saturday: a general admission pass for $35 and an MVP pass for $275. It appears that the GA does not include any player meet-and-greets or autographs. I have a gut feeling that this may not go over well with the more budget-friendly option, offering only “opportunities for spontaneous and authentic player interaction.” However, if you’re willing to fork over $275 for the MVP pass, you’ll get a private meet and greet session with White Sox VIP attendees as well as exclusive photo opportunities. I’ll be curious to see how fans react this time around, especially those who remember when SoxFest felt more like a family reunion than a VIP event.
