Luis Robert Jr. has long been seen as a natural trade candidate, and interest remains in the former All-Star even as he is battling through a second consecutive difficult year. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes that “eight teams have checked in” with the White Sox about Robert, without specifying the identities of any of these suitors.
After going 1-for-4 in Chicago’s 6-5 loss to the Guardians today, Robert concludes the first half with only a .190/.275/.325 slash line over 306 plate appearances. Robert’s strikeout and walk rates are both near the bottom of the league, and while his .315 xwOBA is much higher than his .264 wOBA, even that .315 number is subpar. Despite this overall dismal offensive performance, a few bright spots exist. The right-handed hitting Robert has a very impressive .913 OPS against southpaws (but a .498 OPS against righty pitching), he has stolen 22 bases in 28 attempts, and his barrel and walk rates are above average.
Between this season and his injury-marred 2024 campaign, Robert has hit just .210/.277/.356 in 727 PA since Opening Day 2024, translating to a 76 wRC+. His center field glovework has declined since a 2023 season that now seems like a career year, though Robert’s defense is still at least decent, adding another possible plus for any interested suitors.
Hindsight between 20-20, the ideal time for the White Sox to move Robert was in the wake of his All-Star campaign in 2023, given how his production has since cratered. The Sox opted to keep Robert in the hopes that another healthy and productive season would only enhance his trade value, yet this plan has now backfired. Even with the amount of interest that Robert is still generating, obviously the White Sox aren’t going to get nearly the haul they once anticipated getting for the outfielder, which is a big setback for a rebuilding team that still needs a lot more talent.
2025 is the final guaranteed year of the six-year, $50MM extension Robert signed prior to the 2020 season. The Sox hold $20MM club options (each with a $2MM buyout) on his services for both 2026 and 2027, and this extra contractual control was once seen as another major asset to Robert’s trade value. He has approximately $6.25MM remaining of his $15MM salary for 2025, so with that $2MM buyout, the $8.25MM price tag attached to Robert now might be too pricey for other teams to fully entertain, given his struggles. The Sox are reportedly willing to include money to help facilitate trades of Robert and Andrew Benintendi, though one would imagine that’s a greater concern as it relates to Benintendi’s much larger remaining salary obligations.
Heyman notes that some clubs feel Robert could benefit from being “a complementary player,” which isn’t a surprise given his drastic splits. Robert’s ability to still crush lefties provides some hope that he can get his overall game on track, as interested suitors might also feel that Robert can benefit simply from a change of scenery. Still just a few weeks shy of his 28th birthday, Robert should be in his prime, and that big 2023 season certainly still lingers in the minds of rival front offices.
The Dodgers, Giants, Reds, Mariners, and Mets are among the clubs who have been linked to Robert’s trade market in the last couple of years, with New York showing interest as recently as May. It would seem that probably every contender with a need in the outfield could at least call up White Sox GM Chris Getz to make a few inquiries about an asking price for Robert, and even a brief hot streak for Robert after the All-Star break could spark a minor bidding war.
Can’t wait for him to be gone.
I sure hope the Phillies are smart enough to not do this deal.
depends on the cost
Agreed, the cost is everything. Who would want Robert platooning with Marsh instead of Rojas if the cost wasn’t prohibitive?
There is no way that eight teams have an interest in him.
NPB and KBO need outfielders???
One mid-level prospect is all it will take.
Are these 8 teams in the room with us right now?
They are all waiting in line for the restroom!
Given his numbers against LP I think just about every contender is interested if the white Sox want to eat some money. 4th OF who starts against lefties every playoff team is probably interested.
Interesting. And could play any of 3 outfield spots. I don’t think Chicago will get what they want for him, but definitely something is better than nothing.
They absolutely are getting virtually nothing. Salary relief probably it really. The more salary white willing to eat the more valuable he is. He’s an expensive lane thomas basically at this point who’s probably a much better CF than thomas ever dreamed of being.
Thus far, Andrew Vaughn has been a total stud for Milwaukee. Robert may follow suit.
Five games doth not a stud make.
As soon as he leaves, he’s going to be like Gavin Sheets. Not sure Getz will get a whole lot for him though…
I’d take him on the Cardinals for Jordan Walker
This guy is so tired. Every yr you hear how great he is. The guy is hurt all the time. One hot yr. He strikes out 200K a huge swing and miss guy. Hitting .189 now and .200 in the past two yrs. He has zero upside. Only downside. Forget the past. Forget one hot yr. This guy is the wrong guy.
Robert for Michael harris.
“Hindsight being 20-20”
Jon Heyman isn’t a reporter he is a writer and he writes whenever the heck Scott Boras wants written about his clients solely to give himself an advantage at the bargaining table. Heyman’s press credentials should be revoked because he’s nothing but a joke who couldn’t even handle being called out on the fact that he’s a Boras tool
its funny i was thinking the same thing. I was going to make a comment is there a separate mystery team. I noticed it didnt say MLB teams. This could be foreign teams or independent league.
I can’t imagine the Mets would give up anything of value for Robert. I get that Robert theoretically has a high ceiling, but Taylor plays better defense and, believe it or not, has almost exactly the same wRC+ and OPS+ as Robert. As a Mets fan, watching Taylor’s struggles at the plate has been brutal. To think that he’s hitting the same as Robert, it strains credulity to think that the Mets are interested in Robert.
Not sure I agree with you. To start with, it all depends on how you define “of value”.. and we don’t know that the ChiSox are demanding much value at this point. The Mets might very well be willing to part with one of their very many talented single-A infielders.
On a baseball front, Robert’s .880 OPS against lefties vs just .493 for Taylor is a huge difference, even if lefties are only 28% of all starters in MLB.
Taylor has done this most of his career: play consistently well in platoon or part-time role. As a starter, he hits well for a stretch, then loses it. The Mets had the luxury of feeding Bader into the CF rotation when Taylor struggled, then benching Bader again when Taylor got back on track. This year, they have no one. Milwaukee did the same thing with him.
In short, adding Robert to the mix instantly improves the offense against lefties, and could have the secondary effect of seeing Taylor also start to hit better. Plus, Robert can also be used as a late-inning PR on the days he does not start.
Lastly, this is what Stearns does: he improves the team on the periphery. As he put it, everyone looks at the top end of the teams talent for improvement. But you can also improve a team by raising the floor on the talent. Given what Taylor has done thus far, and the lack of internal answers, Robert does improve the floor of that CF performance.
Completely sounds like a Boras flak. No one wants the current version of Luis Robert, Jr. I’d hazard to say that more teams would be interested in Luis Robert, Sr.
If the Cubs pay up for Eugenio Suarez to play 3B after the ASG, then Robert would be a candidate to take over the 5th OF role from Vidal Brujan – assuming the White Sox kick in at least half of the remaining money.
The Cubs don’t really have a backup CF on the current roster. If PCA was injured they’d call up Kevin Alcantara but Alcantara is a potential trade chip in either a Suarez deal or a deal for a #3 starter. Robert could give PCA and Happ a day off here and there against a lefty (DH for Happ with Suzuki to LF).
Robert + $3.5M for Brujan and a couple of organizational minor leaguers to fill out the Charlotte roster (BJ Murray for example)?
No sale
He still hits lefties well. Bat him low against righties and high against lefties.
They won’t get much back in a trade though.
Or don’t bat him against righties at all – just platoon him against lefties, and use him as a PR when RHers pitch.
I can not understand the attraction to this guy. I really find it hard to believe 8 teams are that desperate for an outfielder that they’d take that bad an offensive player.
No one said “desperate”. And at the end of the day, it all comes down to just how much – or little – the cost is. The fact is he’s still battering lefties.
So at this point he’s basically a 4th Outfielder? So much for whatever haul the White Sox thought they could get. Furthermore so much for that big payday for Robert in free agency
Or a platoon player (.886 OPS vs LH). But you’re right – it won’t be a big haul for the White Sox, and he won’t make big money in free agency.
I have no idea why a team would trade for this guy. The pundits love him. I don’t see it. How could a .190/275/325 help a team. Potential yes, but unrealized.
.258/.403/.484 against lefties. For a team with a hole in CF, that could be attractive.
Just checking in ok I’ll see you later buddy let me know when you come back around.