This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- The White Sox hold the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft, taking place at 12 p.m. CT on Dec. 11 as the final scheduled event of the 2024 Winter Meetings in Dallas.

That selection is aimed at helping the team next season and beyond if all goes as planned, as the White Sox continue amassing young talent during Year 2 of this latest rebuild. But the South Siders’ additions could work hand-in-hand story-wise with the potential talent subtraction at this upcoming event.

Garrett Crochet, the reigning American League Comeback Player of the Year, has been the centerpiece of trade talks, rumors and general trade discussions attached to the White Sox. It’s understandable, with the 25-year-old left-hander producing an All-Star season in a 2024 campaign that marked his first year as a starter.

There are others from this previous core, though, who general manager Chris Getz and his front office probably will look to move. Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. turned in one of the most complete seasons in White Sox history in 2023 and has five-tool talent with Gold Glove capabilities. Robert is also under contract at $15 million for 2025 with $20 million team options and $2 million buyouts in each of ’26 and ’27.

Having Robert at three years, $55 million becomes a solid deal if the right-handed hitter puts up those same ’23 numbers. Robert is coming off another injury-plagued year, though, limited to 100 games in ’24 after being out from April 6 to June 3 with a right hip flexor strain. He finished with an uncharacteristic slash line of .224/.278/.379 to go with 14 home runs, 19 doubles and a career-high 23 stolen bases.

Veteran outfielder Andrew Benintendi had a tale of two halves in ’24, slashing .201/.258/.311 with seven homers and 26 RBIs before the All-Star break, but finishing with a .263/.328/.502 slash line with 13 homers and 38 RBIs over 54 games following the Midsummer Classic. Benintendi has three years remaining on his five-year, $75 million deal, earning $17.1 million each over the next two and $15.1 million in 2027.

“Hell of a second half,” said White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore of Benintendi near the end of the ’24 season. “Who knows why hitters go through those little struggles, but he definitely found something there. It’s been clicking and fun to see. I’m happy for him. That’s the version of him we like seeing and he expects of himself. It’s a good way to end the season.”

First baseman Andrew Vaughn also produced a slightly stronger second half in what was an overall subpar ’24. He drew interest at the Trade Deadline last season, and at just 26, and being a solid clubhouse presence much like Crochet, Benintendi and Robert, could draw interest again in Dallas.

There’s talk of the White Sox trimming payroll from their $123 million range of ’24, but as former general manager Rick Hahn frequently mentioned, there’s no prize for finishing a move during the Winter Meetings or unofficially winning the offseason.

Take the case of right-hander Dylan Cease, as an example. Cease was known to be a trade target entering the 2023 Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., with rumors having the Cy Young candidate gone as the White Sox brass arrived. Cease stayed through the event, was named the team’s 2024 Opening Day starter in January, and wasn’t moved to San Diego until near the end of Spring Training.

Getz certainly will be in intent listening mode and ready for action if the deal is right, but he won’t make moves just to get them done. Not when the return figures to be so important to Chicago’s future when moving a high-impact player such as Crochet, who has two years of arbitration remaining and fanned 209 over 146 innings and 32 starts in ’24. Waiting until the front-end starting pitching free agent market plays out seems to make sense in Crochet’s scenario.

Ask for a high return, the highest of returns, especially in cases such as Crochet and Robert, even if it’s tougher to sell Robert following his ’24 results. Don’t settle until that return is met.