The White Sox announced a series of roster moves today, reinstating outfielder Luis Robert Jr. from the injured list, recalling outfielder Zach DeLoach and selecting the contract of outfielder Duke Ellis. In corresponding moves, outfielders Tommy Pham and Dominic Fletcher have each landed on the 10-day injured list, Pham due to a left ankle sprain and Fletcher due to a left shoulder strain. Both moves are retroactive to June 3. The Sox also designated infielder Zach Remillard for assignment. James Fegan of Sox Machine reported the Ellis news on X earlier today.
Robert returns to the roster after missing nearly two months with a Grade 2 strain of his right hip flexor. He hit .214/.241/.500 in 29 plate appearances before sustaining the injury while legging out a ninth-inning double. It’s a suboptimal way to kick off his follow-up to last year’s sensational year, which saw the five-tool standout bat .264/.315/.542 with 38 homers, 20 steals and plus center field defense in a career-high 145 games.
The return of Robert will add some direly needed talent to a White Sox club that has overwhelmingly been the worst in MLB this year. Chicago’s .250 winning percentage is miles behind the 29th-ranked Marlins’ mark of .350. The ChiSox are slam-dunk sellers at this year’s trade deadline, and if healthy, Robert will command plenty of attention himself. However, he’s signed at a bargain rate through the 2027 season, and trading a player with MVP-caliber talent and three-plus seasons of club control left is almost unheard of. Other clubs will surely make an effort, but it would likely take one of the largest trade returns in recent MLB history for the Sox to make the move.
Pham, 36, is a far more logical trade candidate. If healthy, he’s perhaps the single most obvious and likely player in all of MLB to be moved leading up to the deadline. The 11-year veteran is playing on a $3MM base salary on his one-year deal and is out to a strong .280/.331/.402 start to his season (110 wRC+). He posted a similar .256/.328/.446 line in 481 plate appearances between the Mets and D-backs a season ago. Pham may not have the speed or power he possessed in his late 20s and early 30s, but he remains a talented hitter who can capably handle the outfield corners (even if he’s been miscast as a center fielder in Chicago with Robert on the injured list).
Fletcher, acquired in an offseason trade that sent pitching prospect Cristian Mena to the D-backs, has managed only a .173/.253/.227 output in 84 plate appearances. That pales in comparison to last year’s .301/.350/.441 showing in his MLB debut effort with Arizona. The Sox briefly optioned him to Charlotte but recalled him recently after he hit .238/.319/.405 in 11 games. For a 26-year-old whom the Sox hoped could be a controllable piece for them, Fletcher has received curiously sparse playing time since his recall. Manager Pedro Grifol has given Fletcher just 18 plate appearances over the past three weeks, during which he’s collected only one hit.
Ellis, 26, is hitting .258/.341/.308 (102 wRC+) in 39 Double-A games this season but has already racked up an enormous 34 stolen bases. Opponents have managed to catch him only one time thus far. Throughout his minor league career, he’s turned in worrying strikeout rates and displayed minimal power (career-high eight homers), but he’s also swiped 117 bases with an 88.9% success rate. Though he’s not considered one of the White Sox’ top prospects, Ellis clearly possesses high-end speed.
The Padres selected Ellis out of high school with their 20th-round pick in 2017, but he instead opted to attend Panola College in Carthage, Texas. He’d have been eligible for the 2020 draft, but that year’s event was shortened to five rounds during the pandemic-impacted season. He wound up signing with the White Sox as an undrafted free agent and has steadily climbed their ranks.
This will be the second DFA of the season for Remillard, who made his MLB debut as a 29-year-old rookie last season. He’s hit .250/.304/.322 in 199 big league plate appearances since that time but has struggled to a lifeless .114/.192/.157 slash in 19 Triple-A games this year. He cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Charlotte following his last DFA and is a candidate to do so a second time.
The MLB really just needs to remove some of the teams in this league so that the competition becomes better. There are around 6 teams in the league right now without a true all star player. Teams like the Phillies and Dodgers each have about 5 all star level players. Teams like the Marlins, Whitesox, Tigers, Rockies, A’s, Angels etc. are always bottom feeders and have been for most of the past 30 years. Why do we need them around? The talent level around the MLB is attrocious
lets let aaaa be a thing, bottom 8 teams demoted, reshuffle the rest of the minor leagues to accommodate a 24 team mlb with 6 playoff teams, two division winners and one wild card per league
bottom 6 teams should be what that says, my mistake
Please get a clue guys.
Marlins were in the playoffs last year. White Sox in 20 and 21.
I would substitute the Reds and Mets for those two.
I agree.
From 2000 to 2020 the A’s were in the playoffs 12 times. They also had a .533 winning percentage during that time. Yeah they suck now, but it’s wave..
Now the Rockies on the other hand… you’re right.
Sounds like its not an issue of not enough stars and more an issue with all the stars on a few teams. Seems like you want a salary cap/floor and not contraction.
@LFG……In those last 20(ish) years, Marlins, Angels, and Whitesox have more WS wins than the Mets. Maybe the Mets should be in that group?
That is not a serious argument (only as serious as contraction), just pointing out how things can change with different ownership. The Wilpon ownership group left a wake of ineptitude they are still trying to get past. Maybe CWS will change after Reinsdorf passes or Angels improve when Moreno mysteriously disappears from his mega-yacht?
LFGMets: If Manfred had any stones he would force the owners of the Sox, Rox and A’s to give up their teams due to indifference. They are a disgrace to the game. But Manfred is paid by the owners so it will never happen. Hey, how about robo-owners, Manfred?
So, in the last “30 years”
The Marlins won 2 World Series
The White Sox and Angels each won a World Series
The Rockies lost the World Series
The Tigers have lost twice in the World Series
Don’t smoke crack.
I kinda like things now. Just don’t take my Orioles from me.
An option that I’m curious about and mentioned here is the idea of a league just below the current one.
Maybe expand by six teams. These teams plus the 4 bottom dwellers from the previous MLB season compete at this lower level.
The following year, the top 4 move up, the bottom 4 from MLB move down. They compete against themselves but also teams from around the world. I’m thinking attendance would be healthy because of the international competition.
And stop penalizing teams with this tax system based on team payroll. Enough of that noise. Each year teams sunk or swim based on the resources made available by ownership.
MLB will do nothing to upset its established billionaire owners.
Did Pham sprain his ankle puffing out his chest at the Brewers the other night?
Pham, I believe is one of those who is the cause of many of his own problems. Remember couple years ago when he was in a barroom altercation, then ended up getting stabbed? Some here were all defending him, some blaming him for putting himself in the position itself to being with.
seems pham just has an attitude problem and can’t handle things. life will eventually explain things when he gets older.. if he makes it that long and doesn’t remain hard headed.
He seems a bit tightly wound. Even his quote the other day about how he fights in the off season so he’ll be ready to fight on the field sounds a bit threatening. Pham slapped Joc Pederson pretty hard a couple years back over a fantasy football game for making a move that Pham himself made. Will Smith (the actor) hitting Chris Rock has basically ended Smith’s career to date, yet somehow Pham got off with a three-game suspension. The guy is wacky. Hopefully his IL stay includes addressing mental health issues.
I think it was a strip club altercation. Pham is a master in the art of self sabotage
Pham has been on 8 teams in the last 7 years. He is a cancer in the clubhouse. There were rumors that the Padres were looking to bring him back this year to fill the hole in LF created by the Soto trade, but nobody wanted him back. He was awful for 2 years in SD, and alienated the fan base. On the bright side, the Padres got Jake Cronenworth as the throw-in from the Pham trade with Tampa Bay, and got rid of Hunter Renfroe, who has been on 7 teams in the last 6 years himself. Some kids just don’t play well with others…
“Strip Club Tommy” needs some time alone with the ladies, baseball can wait. You gotta a problem with that?
Might be an unpopular opinion, I would hold Robert til at least 2025 deadline. Wsox need to add offense next offseason. There are plenty of FA in Wsox budget like Abraham Toro, Tommy Pham, Max Fried, etc.
Coming off another injury and the market being reduced to only contenders, I would also hold off on trading Robert until 2025. However, if he finishes 2024 looking like the same player he was in 2023, I would make a Robert trade the #1 priority of the upcoming off-season. Trading him with 3/$55 remaining on his deal instead of 2/$40 remaining should make the return much better.
Trading Roberts is a franchise dagger. He’s not just another guy. If you’re a die hard. I’m talking Ruth curse, not to mention a serious question of fan base being absolutely finished trading away the potentially best 5 tool player in Baseball.
Aiden, in all respect, do you really think that Fried would seriously consider ever signing with a team like the W Sox? How much would they have to overpay, even to have someone like Fried to even think about it.
And do you think Reinsdork would ever offer a huge overpay?
Well Fried has been hit with the injury bug recently just like Soroka.
As soon as he goes to put his socks on, he’s getting hurt again. Robert is as fragile as Pham’s feelings.
Your not wrong, I won’t be surprised if teams don’t trade for him.
“Is as fragile”…A very accurate comparison. Robert always finds a way to get injured and Pham always finds something to get offended about. It’s no wonder that every team in MLB, except for the Whitesox, had little to zero interest in signing Pham, who’s the classic case of a guy with a chip on his shoulder, who’s always trying to prove his “toughness”.
All you Pham haters still seem to forget Pham pushed the D-Backs to the Series last year.. As bad as the White Sox are this year, Pham still stood up tothe Brewer’s catcher talking smack.
“Pham haters…pushed the Dbacks”…First off, Pham was only on the Dbacks for about half the year last year. He played well for them and seemingly put himself in position to get a nice 2-3 year deal(from the Dbacks or other team). But Pham is far too combustible, unpredictable and incendiary for most teams and no team ever wants to commit to him long(or even medium term)term. Why is that?
In your opinion then, why didn’t the Dbacks re-sign him?
“Why didn’t the Dbacks”…Probably the same reason St. Louis, Boston, Tampa Bay and San Diego didn’t (re)sign him. He’s an above average hitter(most of the time)who’s not quite good enough for teams to take on all the problems and baggage he brings. Incidentally, this is the same reason Trevor Bauer is not signed, since he wasn’t actually convicted of anything.
Sell the team Mr.Reindsorf. terrible organization top to bottom minors. Southside rebuild ,rebuild 2.0 didnt work out. Also goes for Chicago bulls.
And here I thought Pham had a hurt butt.
T Pham going to a 10 day treatment facility for anger management and learning how to play well with others!
“10 day treatment facility”…Tim Anderson graduated from that same facility this past off-season. Time will tell if it works for him longterm.
Zach Remillard “I swear you guys DFA me 13 or 14 more times and I’m out of here”
80% of the teams in baseball have not won a WS, since the White Sox in 2005. That being said Luis Robert is the best five tool player in Baseball. I’ve heard some of the best minds in baseball say it and still think he is better than Trout and Mantle. He likes to get injured like them too he has just not established his career yet like they had.
If he can turn out 2 years in a row of 150 games plus the third I guarantee will be an MVP season. All that being said my entire white/Polish White Sox die hard family will no longer be Sox fans if they trade him. If they don’t let him play out this contract I’ll cry
Cardinals
Red Sox
Phillies
Yankees
Giants
Royals
Cubs
Astros
Nationals
Dodgers
Braves
Rangers
That’s 60% of the teams not winning since the Sox.
60% still proves his point though. And numerous teams have not made the playoffs since ’21
Nine different champs out of the last ten seasons.
It just proves he’s bad at math or good at exaggerating.
His contact is ok and his glove sucks. The Trout and Mantle comparison is just as far as you can get from reality.
Pham must have gotten injured while training to “f*** somebody up.”
It just sounded good 80%. Still I predicted that HR from Roberts and got paid. So at least I have a point as to what teams need to go which is none. 60-80% but you baseball guys work way too hard to point out useless . It doesn’t matter the teams take a decade to build cheap prospects to take a few shots and get in the playoffs before they have to sell off.
Unless you’re one of the 5 or so teams that habitchualy build your own teams farm, while plucking all the talent year round. So like La- La- NY- NY. Wealth tax, profit sharing is a joke, especially if clubs don’t have to put 100% of that money towards players, facilities for them only, and staff /trainer’s for players only. Not for Bud Selig commissioner/ owner of the Brewers to build a sick stadium then retire and die. Why is Pham so mad btw? So anyway all the teams have money to be more balanced. There are also just like in the NFL many better players at home watching the games rather than playing. There’s no motivation for 2 a- days, or position players to have Tommy John.
Which position players retired over not having TJS?? You just spew nonsense….
Mets won the pennant in 2015 and were in the playoffs 2 years ago. I believe that each of these in the upper half of teams. Probably a few other teams meet neither criteria.