Did the Murakami signing just scramble the White Sox’s offseason plans?

The Chicago White Sox may have just complicated their own offseason — in a way that cuts directly against months of conventional wisdom.

Speaking on his MLB Network Radio, former general manager Jim Bowden predicted that after signing Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami on Sunday morning, the White Sox are unlikely to trade Luis Robert Jr.  Bowden said Chicago believes Murakami’s presence in the middle of the lineup can finally help Robert offensively.

That idea clashes sharply with how this winter has unfolded. Robert has been the subject of trade rumors dating back to last season’s deadline, and those conversations have not gone quiet. On Sunday morning, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the White Sox are actively talking with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets about Robert.

"Next up for the Chicago White Sox after the Munetaka Murakami signing: They still would like to move CF Luis Robert for pitching depth and are engaged in talks with the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds," Nightengale said. 

Bowden's take reflects that the White Sox have a problem with Robert's value right now. 

 Over the last several seasons, his production has come in uneven stretches interrupted by injuries. Hip, hamstring, wrist, vision issues — rarely catastrophic on their own, but persistent enough to keep him from sustaining momentum. In 2025, he appeared in 110 games and finished with a .223 average, 14 home runs, a .661 OPS and 33 stolen bases. The athleticism is still there. His sprint speed remains among the league’s best, and his hard-hit and barrel rates suggest the bat speed has not disappeared.

But the results have lagged, and for rival teams, that has created an opening.

Robert’s contract is team-friendly relative to his ceiling, yet his market has softened because clubs are no longer paying strictly for upside. They are pricing in missed time.

This is where Murakami enters the equation.

Chicago signed Murakami to a two-year, $34 million deal — a shorter commitment than many expected for a 25-year-old with his resume. In eight NPB seasons, Murakami hit .273 with 246 home runs and a .950 OPS, punctuated by his historic 56-homer MVP season in 2022. Even in 2024, when an oblique injury limited him to 56 games, he still slugged 22 home runs with an OPS north of 1.040.

Scouts have questioned how Murakami’s swing-and-miss tendencies will play against elite MLB velocity, particularly high-speed fastballs at the top of the zone. That risk is a major reason the deal landed at two years rather than something longer.

Still, for the White Sox, Murakami represents lineup gravity — something Robert has rarely had behind or around him. If Chicago believes Robert’s uneven production has been magnified by poor lineup context, keeping him now makes more sense. A healthier Robert hitting with protection could rebuild value faster than any trade.

That belief, however, does not erase the trade calls.

Mets’ interest underscores that other teams still see Robert as a buy-low opportunity, and Chicago would be naive to ignore that leverage. It is entirely possible the White Sox are trying to do both: publicly signal patience while privately gauging whether Murakami’s arrival increases Robert’s market.

What has changed is the certainty. For months, trading Robert felt inevitable. Murakami’s signing reopened a door the White Sox had appeared ready to close.