👋 Good morning!
There’s no reason to believe the Bears won’t end up in Arlington Heights.
It seems like just a matter of when at this point in the process, despite the lack of a firm agreement to develop a stadium on the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse.
But the Illinois state legislature’s 2025 session ended this past Saturday without passing any property tax legislation that would help the Bears’ case for a new home.
What does this mean for the possibility of the franchise breaking ground on the land they closed on in 2023 by the end of 2025?
It’s not a great sign, but there’s still hope that things could come together when the legislature reconvenes for a brief session in the fall.
In other news, mandatory minicamp begins tomorrow, so you know, back to actual football later this week.
Where In The World Is Luis Robert Jr?
Two seasons ago, Luis Robert Jr. emerged as a future star and potential cornerstone for the White Sox en route to a 12th-place finish in AL MVP voting. Now, he’s one of baseball’s worst batters among qualified players.
What happened to Luis Robert Jr?
2023: Robert slashed .264/.315/.542 over 145 games. His 38 home runs and 36 doubles led his club in both categories and earned him his first All-Star nod. Despite Robert’s success, the White Sox lost 101 games as they headed into a deep teardown.
2025: Through 54 games, Robert is slashing a putrid .180/.270/.291 with just five home runs, six doubles, and a dismal 59 wRC+. His .180 batting average ranks 166th out of 169 qualified batters. His .561 OPS ranks 163rd.
However, with 24 walks and 21 stolen bases already this season, Robert Jr. is just seven walks and three swiped bags from career-highs in both categories.
Robert Jr. missed 54 games in 2024 with a flexor strain in his right hip, which he had completely torn in 2021. Just 27 years old, Robert Jr. is no stranger to the injured list, playing in just 65.8% of the club’s games since 2021.
Robert Jr’s contract runs through the end of the 2025 season, but the White Sox have team options, each worth $20 million, for 2026 and 2027.
There’s something to be said for the mental toll that injuries and consistent involvement in trade rumors can have on a player’s psyche.
And considering Robert Jr. admitted he didn’t even think he’d still be a member of the White Sox come Opening Day, it’s easy to chalk up his lengthy struggles to being checked out.
He’s like an employee who’s submitted their two-week notice but simply hasn’t left yet: a combination of Peter Gibbons from Office Space and George Costanza.
But it’s equally possible that his injury history, whether it’s wear and tear or some other nagging physical issue, is dragging his production down, too.
Regardless, his massive dropoff is nothing short of strange, especially taking into account where it seemed his career was headed after 2023.
And it leaves the White Sox in an awfully peculiar position two months from the trade deadline and five months from another major deadline.
Trading Robert Jr. now would be dumping their once-prized asset at its lowest worth. The club could non-tender him after the season if he’s unable to pick up the pieces by then, but that would mean losing him for nothing. Then again, the alternative is picking up the option in November on a player currently under the Mendoza Line.
Though Robert Jr. missing more time might seem counter-productive, maybe a trip to the IL for any given reason, with a rehab stint with Triple-A Charlotte could be somewhat beneficial. Anything to break his funk.
⏳ THIS WEEK ⏳
IN A JAM: Kyle Tucker is officially day-to-day with a jammed right ring finger per Cubs manager Craig Counsell. Tucker left the Cubs’ 7-3 win on Sunday in the fifth inning despite sustaining the injury in the first inning while attempting to steal second base. The Cubs’ slugger slid awkwardly, trapping his hand underneath his body and faceplanting into the dirt. It was the first time Tucker had been caught stealing this year in 17 attempts.
After the game, Tucker said: “Hand’s a little jammed, a little swollen. Obviously, we got our off day tomorrow, so hopefully it feels a little better once we get to Washington.”
The Cubs head to Washington to begin their three-city road trip against the Nationals on Tuesday.
TBD: The Cubs’ expected starters for their three-game set against the Nationals?
Tuesday: Cade Horton
Wednesday: Matthew Boyd
Thursday: TBD
It’s Colin Rea’s spot in the rotation, but Rea hasn’t been as sharp in his last two starts, sporting a 10.13 ERA in 10.2 IP. Could Craig Counsell be planning to deploy another opener?
It worked for Ben Brown and the Cubs on Saturday, which you can read about here.
MOCK DRAFT SZN: PHLY’s Derek Bodner and our very own Will Gottlieb’s second collaborative mock ahead of this month’s NBA Draft is LIVE on the site right now. Who falls to the Bulls at No. 12? Check it out here.
Not great!
Central Division Finals appearances since 2000
Cavs: 2007, 2015, 2016 (🏆), 2017, 2018
Pistons: 2004 (🏆), 2005
Pacers: 2000, 2025
Bucks: 2021 (🏆)
Bulls: None— #Will Gottlieb (#@Will_Gottlieb)
2:46 PM • Jun 1, 2025
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⚾️ White Sox vs. Tigers
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