Last month, the White Sox picked up their $20MM option on Luis Robert Jr. General manager Chris Getz signaled that the club planned on Robert being their starting center fielder in 2026. That has not stopped clubs from inquiring on his availability in trade talks, as Francys Romero of Beisbol FR reports that the Mets, Padres, and Pirates have expressed interest in acquiring Robert.
The 28-year-old batted .223/.297/.364 with an 84 wRC+ across 110 games for the White Sox this year. His first half was particularly brutal, as he only hit .185/.270/.313 with a 63 wRC+ in 70 games through June 25, when he incurred a left hamstring strain that would send him to the injured list a few days later. Robert was striking out in 30.9% of his plate appearances, only marginally improved from his 33.2% rate last year. He did have a 10.2% walk rate, but for the most part, he was continuing an offensive decline that started with an 84 wRC+ season in 2024.
His second half was a clear improvement. Robert returned from the IL on July 8 and batted .293/.349/.459 with a 124 wRC+ in his next 146 plate appearances. After experiencing poor batted ball luck in the first half of the season (.245 BABIP), he benefited from positive regression upon his return (.317 BABIP). He also dropped his strikeout rate to 16.4% in the second half, bringing that mark down to 26.0% on the season. His rebound was enough for the White Sox to hold onto Robert at the deadline, despite interest from several clubs. Unfortunately, he suffered another left hamstring strain and was placed on the IL in late August, which ultimately ended his season.
The end result was a season worth 1.3 WAR according to FanGraphs. Looking at the bigger picture, it’s clear that Robert has fallen from the height of his 2023 season, when he posted a 129 wRC+ and hit 38 home runs in a career-high 145 games while earning an All-Star nod. That was the fourth season of a six-year, $50MM extension that Robert had signed in January 2020, which was then a record for a player who had not yet debuted in the majors. Robert’s production from 2020-23 made it look like a good deal, but his drop-off in 2024-25 (second-half rebound notwithstanding) made the $20MM club option for 2026 look a lot more expensive.
In the end, the team picked up the option in lieu of paying Robert a $2MM buyout. On the surface, that $18MM net amount was a lot for an injury-prone player who had posted below-average offense for two years, especially for a rebuilding club. The move may have been motivated by the lack of standout center fielders in free agency. Trent Grisham had a strong year in 2025 but accepted the qualifying offer rather than test the market. Cody Bellinger is still available, but he is a corner outfielder at this stage of his career. Harrison Bader is an exceptional defender and will do well on a multi-year deal, although his career-best offensive showing in 2025 was partly the product of good batted ball fortune (.359).
The club is hoping that Robert will have a decent offensive showing in 2026, which would make him a solid trade candidate at next year’s deadline. Still, it’s not surprising to see teams doing their due diligence now, despite Getz’s earlier comments. Eight teams were interested in Robert at this year’s deadline, including the Mets and Padres. The Mets mostly used Tyrone Taylor in center in 2025, but he only posted a 70 wRC+ in 341 plate appearances. They attempted to upgrade by trading for Cedric Mullins, but he himself posted a 66 wRC+ in 143 plate appearances and departed for the Rays in free agency. The club has prospect Carson Benge knocking on the door. A trade for Robert would be affordable for a high-payroll club and would give them an everyday center fielder if they want to ease Benge into the majors.
The Padres and Pirates are more curious fits. The former has Jackson Merrill firmly entrenched in center. He is coming off a 3.0 fWAR season and signed an extension in April that will guarantee him $135MM through 2034. Robert could be an upgrade at DH, but that wouldn’t be the best use of him since he is still a solid defender, posting 7 OAA in center in 2025. RosterResource currently pegs San Diego for a $201MM payroll in 2026, compared to $211MM this year. Team chairman John Seidler recently indicated that the team will operate at around the same level of payroll. They would need the White Sox to cover at least half of Robert’s salary to facilitate an offseason trade, and that’s before leaving room for other additions.
Meanwhile, the Pirates have shown an increased willingness to spend this offseason. They made an $80MM offer to Josh Naylor and were willing to pay Kyle Schwarber $120-$125MM before he re-upped with the Phillies. That said, Robert is obviously not on the same level as Naylor or Schwarber. Pittsburgh also has Oneil Cruz under control through 2028. Like Robert, Cruz had a below-average offensive showing in 2025 (86 wRC+), but Cruz is much more affordable, with a projected $3.6MM salary in his first turn through arbitration compared to Robert’s guaranteed $20MM. Pittsburgh may just be doing their due diligence, though the likeliest outcome is that Robert stays put in Chicago through the offseason.
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images
Padres are not going to spend $20 million on a mediocre outfielder when they’ve already got a stacked outfield.
Laureano to mets, loubob to sd
@Bird Wouldn’t mind the Angels picking up Laureano to play CF.
He always played exceptional against us when he was either A’s.
@dole. I can see the angels being in on Robert. Even if they’re not included on the article.
@Rex Yes Sir
Guarantee AJ checked in for IF they trade Laureano. Due diligence.
If they are still asking for four big prospects for him, they’ll still keep him.
I wouldn’t claim him on waivers, much less give up prospects for him. There’s no way you can’t find a better use of $20M, regardless of the team
No one would. In a trade the White Sox can pick up some money.
The Pirates will look good to ones who buy into their BS. Same song and dance, nothing to improve the club.
We don’t want him on the Mets I’d rather have Benge or Bader
It feels like Luis Robert is similar to a box of expensive chocolates.
I’m not sure what’s worse, the White Sox picking up that option or that teams still want to trade for him. The dude has not been good or healthy for 2 years now. I can at least see the Sox doing it to lure teams in like an endorsement that they still believe, but for shame to whoever buys into it.
Merrill or Roberts? Yeah, that’s an easy one. Laureano for $6.5 million or Robert for $20 million. That also is an easy one. Padres were interested at one time, but that time is not now. Really stupid clickbait.
Another player the Pirates are interested in but they won’t spend for. Now if the White Sox are willing to pay most of his salary then they will be really interested in and may want to make a deal. Nutting may like the $2 million buyout after this season.
Can you read? Or did you see Pirates and immediately came to comment. Luis can only be traded knucklehead.
Another thing, they offered mega bucks (to the Pirates standard) for Naylor and Schwarber before they resigned with their respected clubs. 135 million is a big deal for the Pirates. I think it’s funny they offered to guys they knew wouldn’t sign the contract. But it is what it is. Effort is there though. They traded for Garcia and that is a win in my opinion
The Padres aren’t a curious fit.
They’re talking Laureano for starter help..If one of the trades go through for Laureano, Robert would be a nice LF fit.
AJ’s clearly got a LOT of irons in the fire.
“Meanwhile, the Pirates have shown an increased willingness to spend this offseason. They made an $80MM offer to Josh Naylor and were willing to pay Kyle Schwarber $120-$125MM before he re-upped with the Phillies.”
MLB Rumors is just not going to let this clickbait go. No offer was made to Naylor and this has been confirmed by several sources. Possibly, the front office mulled over an offer of $78 million. Possibly. But no offer was made. If an offer was made to Schwarber it was low enough to guarantee rejection – “if” because no one has confirmed that an offer was submitted to Schwarber’s agent.
So far, Gregory Soto was signed to a one year deal – the Pirates standard approach making a trade deadline salary dump easier.
Not happening
The Pirates and Marlins may be looking to add payroll in order to avoid a grievance by the MLB Players’ Association.
You know that Nutting is trying to determine if a grievance would be cheaper than the salary required to avoid it
Nutting could just extend Griffen and Chandler each for a decade more to get the payroll high enough. The window has passed to do that with Skenes.
That’s every year. They don’t give a it about the grievance. They been filed against them before. Making sure they spend enough to keep receiving the revenue sharing is their #1 priority.
He’s not getting traded until the deadline if he puts up decent numbers.
Roberts would be an upgrade for the Pirates yes, but seems like they may fair just as well using García or Luciano.
Other moves or players in the package or if the team is looking to trade Cruz or another OF then it makes more sense.
Pirates need to stop bullin and make some moves ! Go get Robert and Lowe
Easier said then done. Everyone wants to be avoid expensive free agents who aren’t interested in signing with their team.
This guy isn’t making any MLB team better.
It’s true that the Padres expressed an interest in him so technically the article is accurate. But conveniently left out is that interest was a year ago. Since then Laureano and Sheets have fit in nicely.
Reinsdorf needs to allow Getz to absorb 10mil to get a second tier prospect…..likely a pitcher if the trade partner doesn’t have a near ready OF.
It’s real hard to see the fit on the padres but this is the second link to an outfielder in the last couple of days, Doyle a couple a days ago.
Just odd to see them still linked. The money is a lot but I’d assume the white Sox would pay that down.
The Padres also have sheets who they are fine with playing in LF if Laureano gets traded.
I just don’t see any situation where the Padres trade Merrill.
For the Padres to take him, Sox would have to send $15 M as well and take back Yuki Matsui.
Why?
Let the white Sox eat Jung hoo Lee contract after giants pay it down and swap that 20m.
Go ahead and remove Pirates from the list. They are not actually trading for anyone or signing any free agents.
But hey it’s only December right? Still plenty of time to resign McCutchen and Pham
30th prospect and we take on all the money. Take it or leave it!
Something tells me the Bucs may get him…which would be a bad move.
They need to get Duran at least.
The Mets are not trading for a $20 mil IL candidate. Please just stop. Why trade for a guy who is perpetually injured? We have prospects who are going to get a chance in spring training. And if anyone would bother listening to David Stearns, he has told us that he is not bringing in players who will block our minor leaguers from getting up to the big club. If the Mets make a trade, it will be for pitching, not a position player who will need to be replaced at some point this season due to injury.
Mets don’t really have a CF. Benge stunk the joint up in his first crack at AAA (100 PA’s) last year and is more of a LF. They are trying to improve their defense. They will definitely bring in a high end defensive CF. Robert’s solid with the glove but there are better and cheaper available like Bader and Doyle.
Taylor is an exceptional defensive OF. He just can’t hit much better than a few points above his weight.
I can’t fathom all the crap being thrown towards Luis Robert Jr. in this thread, especially in comparison to Harriso Bader, Trent Grisham and Ramón Laureano.
Robert Jr. is still 28, 3 years younger than Bader and Laureano. He’s also a year younger than Grisham. None have come close to putting up the season he posted as recently as 2023. Robert Jr. has accumulated 15.8 bWAR in the 577 games he’s managed to be healthy enough to play in, an average of 4.4 bWAR per season. He also posted a .393/.452/.500 triple slash in the 7 post-season games he played during his first two seasons when the White Sox were actually competitive.
At 28, I can easily envision Robert Jr. returning to his production from 2019-2023, especially with a contender who can offer him the lineup protection he has lacked in Chicago the past few years during their historically bad run with their latest rebuild. The Mets and Padres would certainly offer such protection with stars like Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. entrenched in their batting order. Robert Jr. wouldn’t have to be the star on most any contender but he certainly has the talent to finally achieve the super-star promise he has held since the White Sox signed him out of Cuba back in 2017.
I believe Robert Jr. would be a gamble worth taking for any contender in need of a player with plus power, base running and defense at a premium position like CF. The gamble would be based on his health. $20MM for 2026 and 2027 (club option) for a 28-year old player with his proven numbers and still high ceiling is not extreme based on his past production. It would be a bargain with a 4.4 “average” WAR season and downright cheap if he can manage to reproduce or exceed the 5.3 number he managed in 2023 with a 101 loss team.
The Sox have absolutely no reason to sell low on Robert… and if he continues his post all-star break performance, they have no reason to trade him at all.