After nearly two years of speculation, the White Sox finally traded center fielder Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets last month, receiving utility player Luis Angel Acuña and right-handed pitcher Truman Polley in return. While Robert delivered 38 home runs and a 4.9 WAR in 2023, his last two seasons have been marred by injuries and inconsistent performance.
Acuña, the younger brother of Ronald Acuña Jr., is a versatile utility player known for his on-base skills and defensive flexibility. Last year with the Mets, he posted a .567 OPS, scored 16 runs, stole 17 bases, and played at second base, shortstop, third base, and center field. So far this season, the White Sox have mostly deployed him in center field.
White Sox General Manager Chris Getz has been enthusiastic about Acuña since the trade, but he’s repeatedly misstated a basic fact: Acuña is not a switch hitter, but a right-handed batter. Remarkably, Getz has incorrectly referred to Acuña as a switch hitter at least four times in public statements.
Mistakes happen, but repeating the same error multiple times suggests a lapse in player knowledge or communication within the front office, raising concerns about the organization’s attentiveness. To address the confusion, Getz explained to Sox Machine, “I was probably obsessed with explaining his versatility. Why stop there? I called Luis Angel and told him that even though he is right-handed, we still love him.”
This blunder is somewhat embarrassing for Getz, as not knowing a fundamental detail about one of your own players doesn’t inspire confidence. Though the issue will likely pass in time, such slips reveal room for improvement within the management team.
Last season, the White Sox, under Getz’s leadership, finished with a disappointing 60-102 record, which still marked a 19-win improvement over their franchise-worst 121-loss season in 2024. After trading Robert, the team reinvested the saved salary into signing relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Eric Fede alongside outfielder Austin Hayes.
Fan Take: This trade and the surrounding mix-up spotlight the challenges facing rebuilding teams as they juggle roster changes and management growing pains. For baseball fans, it’s a reminder that even off-field details can impact perceptions of a team’s direction and credibility, potentially influencing how a franchise is viewed in future seasons.
