THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL January 2: Luis Robert signs $50M contract as a White Sox prospect

Months before making his MLB debut, centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. signed a $50 million, six-year contract with the Chicago White Sox on this day in béisbol, January 2, 2020.

Chicago had taken the same risk on rookie outfielder Eloy Jimenez the previous year, signing the Dominican prospect to a six-year, $43 million contract that immediately paid off when the rookie slammed 31 homers. But serious injuries including a pectoral tendon rupture and a hamstring tear limited Jimenez’s playing time.

Robert, a 22-year-old Cuban import, showed plenty of promise after playing just 56 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He hit 11 homers with 31 RBI and won a Gold Glove Award, placing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

But Chicago got burned on Robert’s long-term deal as well as injuries significantly limited his playing time. His only full season came in 2023, when he swatted 38 home runs in 145 games.

Also on this day: In 2020, MLB hands Yankees pitcher Domingo German an 81-game suspension for hitting his girlfriend. It was the longest ban against a player who violated the league’s domestic violence policy.

D. Benjamin Miller, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; LatinoBaseball.com illustration