It is no secret that the Chicago White Sox are looking to trade outfielder Luis Robert Jr. at some point this season.
Robert, who recently hired notorious agent Scott Boras to represent him, is nearing the end of his initial contract with the White Sox, with just two team option years remaining after the 2025 season. Those options are for $20 million, and with the White Sox currently in the midst of a rebuild, keeping Robert for just two more years at that expensive mark seems unlikely.
Finding a trade partner for Robert before while he is under contact and can bring back a haul of prospects seems like the logical move , but an injury-riddled and generally poor 2024 season has made coming to an agreement fairly difficult for GM Chris Getz.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds were both rumored to be involved in early trade discussion over the offseason. A return from the Reds might include infielder Edwin Arroyo. His name has come up in conversations, according to a preseason report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale mentioned outfielder James Outman as a possible headliner of a package from the Dodgers. In Nightengale’s weekly round-up on Sunday, he mentioned another team that has been involved in the Luis Robert sweepstakes.
The New York Mets now have a seat at the table.
The New York Mets have shown interest in Robert
"The Chicago White Sox are finally starting to get some inquiries on center fielder Luis Robert with the New York Mets recently among the teams checking in and showing interest.” wrote Nightengale in his Sunday morning article for USA Today. “The White Sox are eyeing 23-year-old Mets starting prospect Blake Tidwell as part of a package in return.” Bob is, of course, referring to RHP Blade Tidwell, who is currently on the AAA-Syracuse roster.
"Blake Tidwell" is not an actual player...Blade Tidwell, however, is a right-handed pitching prospect for the Mets who is currently on the AAA-Syracuse roster. Tidwell is the MLB Pipeline's No. 15 prospect in the Mets' organization.
Tidwell is a 23-year-old starting pitcher who the Mets drafted in the second-round of the 2022 MLB Draft. The 6’4" hurler out of Tennessee made his major league debut on May 4th during a double header against the St. Louis Cardinals.
His debut didn’t go great, as he surrendered six (6) earned runs in just 3.2 innings, including nine (9) hits and three (3) walks. Tidwell was optioned back to Syracuse after the game, where he’s posted a 4.45 ERA in 7 starts so far this season.
Blade Tidwell’s velo was all over the place in his MLB debut, FB ranged from 92.1–98
— Isaac (@isaacgroffman) May 4, 2025
He still is not zoning his FB enough, but with his deep arsenal, good velo, and intriguing shapes, I believe he has the makings of a MLB starter
Rolling velo and movement:
(by @ajaypatel8_) pic.twitter.com/S1vSzwzV4y
The White Sox need more than just Tidwell
While Tidwell seems to be on the cusp of the majors, he doesn’t have the upside of a prospect that could headline a Luis Robert trade, and many scouts even wonder if he’d be better suited as a reliever long-term.
The White Sox could definitely use some upper-minors pitching depth this season with the overwhelming amount of injuries they’ve had, so including Tidwell in a Robert trade could add another arm with some upside to the mix. But the Sox need more in this deal.
Robert has gotten off to a slow start so far this year, but the tools are loud and he’s been heating up as of late. Enough teams should be interested in gambling on his upside that the White Sox should get at least one borderline Top-100 prospect in return. If the White Sox are going to get a deal done with the Mets, keep an eye on OF Carson Benge, or OF/1B Ryan Clifford being part of the deal as the White Sox look to acquire more position-players to balance out their pitching-heavy farm system.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman later threw some cold water on these rumors, indicating the Mets interest in Robert may have been more of a check-in.
Regarding recent rumors, there’s nothing hot at the moment with the Mets and Luis Robert. They’ve checked on him in the past. CF isn’t a necessity but a potential area of interest down the road.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 11, 2025
While it sounds like nothing is imminent between the White Sox and Mets, we can now add New York to the list of teams with interest in Robert. As the White Sox get closer to the trade deadline, or even Memorial Day, expect the Robert trade rumors to only heat up, and more teams to get involved.
Where Luis Robert is ultimately headed and what the White Sox will get in return remains to be seen, but all will be clear in time.