As MLB’s annual trade deadline quickly approaches, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Chicago White Sox is the trade value of center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
Robert, just two years removed from hitting 38 home runs during the 2023 season, was looking to bounce back after an injury-riddled 2024 put a damper on his superstar potential. Unfortunately, 2025 hasn’t gone the way Robert, or the White Sox, would have hoped.
Robert is batting below .200 with a .580 OPS while struggling to have competitive at-bats at the Major League level.
Despite Robert saying himself that his trade market will be non-existent, GM Chris Getz has insisted that teams are still calling with interest in acquiring him.
It’s been rather difficult to speculate on what kind of return would come back to the White Sox because there are a couple variables at play. Robert’s season numbers are poor, but his tools are louder than nearly every other player in baseball. A contending team that’s savvy at developing hitters may be chomping at the bit for a chance to unlock Robert’s potential. The White Sox could use this to their advantage and try to extract more in a return than some believe Robert is worth.
That's exactly what one MLB insider is predicting to happen. A recent mock trade for Luis Robert Jr. had the White Sox getting an absolute steal in the return package.
Jim Bowden sends Luis Robert Jr. to San Diego
Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently released a handful of mock trades he’d like to see happen ahead of the deadline. Bowden is buying into the idea that a return package for Robert could be surprisingly strong.
In Bowden’s trade, the White Sox send Luis Robert Jr. to the San Diego Padres in exchange for LHP Kash Mayfield, IF Cobb Hightower, and OF Kavares Tears.
I’d make this trade that Jim Bowden proposed for Luis Robert Jr. This is pretty good value considering how he’s played. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/zpA4oALxfb
— James Fox (@JamesFox917) June 17, 2025
In this scenario, Robert joins a San Diego team fighting to keep pace with the Dodgers in the NL West, and will be squarely in the mix for a playoff spot. With superstars Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in tow, and rising star Jackson Merrill in the outfield, Robert will no longer have the pressure to be the main guy in the lineup, and he would have a great opportunity to find his footing with less pressure.
A strong return for the White Sox
The proposed return of Mayfield, Hightower, and Tears would be quite strong for the White Sox. Although none of them rank in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects, they are all in the Top 10 for San Diego.
20-year-old Kash Mayfield was a first round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. The Padres selected him 25th overall. So far in 2025, he has made nine (9) starts at the Low-A level, currently holding a 3.49 ERA, with 45 strikeouts in just 28.1 innings.
Mayfield’s fastball isn’t overpowering, but it sits 95-96 and touches 97. His best pitch is his change-up, which has been a staple of White Sox pitchers since Brian Bannister came to the organization. Mayfield needs to develop a good third pitch, but he definitely has the potential to be a solid big-league starter with his stuff, and he’d be a good addition to the White Sox farm system.
Cobb Hightower, another 2024 draftee from San Diego, is a 5-foot-11 middle infielder who many believe will end up at second base long-term. He has shown plate discipline and contact ability above his years and scouts are optimistic that the power will come as he grows stronger.
Hightower has hit just .226 so far at the Low-A level, but his .388 on base percentage would certainly catch the eye of Chris Getz, who has put extra emphasis on players who can control the strike zone. While the White Sox system is probably more needy in the outfield department, adding up-the-middle talent is a good practice, and the Sox are in a position where they can simply add bats with upside and figure out the defensive positioning later. At just 20 years old, Hightower has got plenty of time to develop, and the White Sox can afford to take a gamble.
The final piece in the proposed trade is outfielder Kavares Tears, who was also a 2024 draft pick of the Padres. At 22, Tears is a bit older than the other two players in this trade, but he flashed five-tool potential during his time at Tennessee, and his power-first profile is something the White Sox need more of in their farm system.
A high strikeout rate and questions about Tears' contact ability have given some scouts pause, but he has a pretty left-handed swing and can hit the ball a long way when he does make contact. Tears is far from a sure thing, and should the White Sox acquire him, I’d like to see them move him up to a higher level and see how he does. But his profile is definitely interesting, and I think if he’s on the table, Chris Getz should make it happen.
Whether the San Diego Padres will be willing to surrender 3 of their Top 10 prospects to acquire Robert is unknown. It remains to be seen what the return for a talented-but-struggling player like Luis Robert will look like for the White Sox.
If Chris Getz can sell a team on Robert’s potential and tools, it could be a surprisingly good return and a complete steal for the White Sox, who are currently headed towards declining Robert's 2026 club option.
Personally, I think if the package proposed by Bowden is on the table, Getz would be silly to turn it down. The opportunity to add three exciting young players doesn’t come around too often, and the White Sox would regret letting this one pass them by.