3 teams other than the Seattle Mariners that could trade for Luis Robert Jr.
Luis Robert Jr. is undoubtedly the most talented player on the White Sox roster. Unfortunately, Robert has missed most of the season with a hip flexor injury. Earlier this month, it was reported that Robert was already back to 80% strength and could return sooner than expected.
While Robert would certainly be welcomed back to the worst offense in the league, there's no need to rush the star back. The Sox are sitting at 14-34 and are 17 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. This means it's already a certainty that the Sox will be sellers this summer, so why not start soon?
Robert received MVP votes last season and was selected to his first All-Star Game as well. The star also has a Silver Slugger and Golden Glove Award under his belt and boasts a .278 career batting average. Suffice to say, the Sox will have plenty of offers if Robert comes available. MLB insider Jeff Passan recently listed the Seattle Mariners as a logical landing spot for the slugger.
Today, let's identify three teams other than the Mariners who make sense for Robert.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are one of MLB's surprise teams this season. The Brew Crew have jumped out to a 27-20 record and are sitting atop the NL Central. Can the Brewers maintain their pace and stay ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals?
The Brewers' offense has been hot of late. The team has the sixth-highest team batting average in the league, the fourth-most homers, and the fourth-highest OPS. However, the centerfield position has been a black hole of sorts for the team. Blake Perkins has been the primary CF and is currently sporting a .223/.315/.346 slash line. Robert would be an immediate boost to an offense that already features Christian Yelich, Willy Adames, Rhys Hoskins, and William Contreras.
As far as prospects, the Brewers have plenty who should interest the Sox. Per MLB.com, the Brewers have the third-best farm system in MLB. Any Robert trade would likely have to include young outfielder Jackson Chourio, who is baseball's number two prospect. The Brewers have four other prospects in the top 100: Jacob Misiorowski, RHP (No. 33), Jeferson Quero, C (No. 35), Tyler Black, 3B/1B (No. 46), and Joey Ortiz, INF (No. 63). At least one of these prospects and more would be needed in addition to Chourio.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies have been a juggernaut in 2024. The team is elite with not only the bats but also on the mound. Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, and J.T. Realmuto have been awesome, and Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos haven't even got going yet.
One position the Phillies have not got much production from is centerfield. Johan Rojas has been the primary CF and has a slash line of just .231/.275/.315 in 130 at-bats. The Phillies don't have the strongest farm system, but there are enough intriguing pieces to interest the White Sox.
Pitchers Andrew Painter and Mick Abel are the team's top prospects, while Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford come in just behind. Any combination of those two, plus a couple of sweeteners, would probably be enough to land Robert. The Phillies would have the scariest lineup in baseball if they were able to pull this one off.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros did not get off to a hot start, but the team has been on a hot streak of late. Over the last 10 games, the Astros have a 7-3 record. The bats have been heating up and the team sports the best overall batting average in the league.
At centerfield, the Astros have deployed Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubon. Both players have performed well, but neither is near the level of Robert. The Astros could use Robert desperately, but their farm system is one of the least impressive in the league. This means that any trade for Robert would have to include players on the major league roster.
A package of either Meyers or Dubon, OF Jacob Melton, RHP Spencer Arrighetti, and SS Brice Matthews would be a nice starting point. It would be painful to trade Robert to the Astros, but the Sox may be intrigued by the big league-ready players offered.
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