The Chicago White Sox are hoping to trade Luis Robert Jr. before Memorial Day and there should be plenty of teams lining up to acquire his services.
One of those teams may be the Texas Rangers. If the Rangers want to keep pace in a tight AL West race, it would be worth it for them to jump the market and acquire the former All-Star center fielder. MLB analyst Jim Bowen recently singled the Rangers out as a team that should try to make a move for Robert.
"I would love to put his locker next to Marcus Semien's."@JimBowdenGM thinks Luis Robert Jr. is a really good fit in center field for the Rangers. pic.twitter.com/c3O6WjDB5f
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 5, 2025
The Rangers have been trying out a few different options in center field. Former top prospect Leody Taveras struggled so badly that he was placed on outright waivers. Taveras is now with the Seattle Mariners and Texas is trying Evan Carter out in center.
Carter debuted in 2023 and made an impact in the Rangers' run to the World Series. However, he hit just .188 last season and struggled with injuries.
While Luis Robert Jr.'s numbers are a disappointment so far this year, he has shown signs that he is coming out of his early season slump. He made it through April healthy, and as the weather warms up, the hope is his bat does too.
Robert Jr. has an OPS over .800 during his last 14 games with three home runs. He is still playing great defense in center field and is among the league's best in stealing bases.
Robert Jr. has shown he can win a game on his own with his bat, his glove, and his speed on the base paths when things are going right for him at the plate. The key is him doing it consistently. The value he provides in three phases of the game still makes him an attractive trade chip for a contender looking for an elite position player who can bring athleticism and power to the lineup.
Robert Jr. would be an ideal supporting cast player on a team that already has a superstar or two. But whatever team trades for him also needs to have what the White Sox are looking for in return and be willing to offload it.
The Texas Rangers cannot give the White Sox enough
The Rangers just do not have the prospect capital that would fit what the White Sox are looking for in a trade. Even if they did, Texas might not be desperate enough to give up what the Sox would likely be seeking back in a deal.
The Rangers have only two prospects on the new MLB Pipeline Top 100 list. Once Kumar Rocker graduates from prospect eligibility, only one Ranger - No. 9 overall prospect Sebastian Walcott - will be on the list.
White Sox GM Chris Getz was reported to be seeking two top-five prospects from potential suitors. You'd have to think that at least one of those needs to be in the Top 100 across baseball.
That high asking price is one reason Robert is still on the Sox despite being one injury away from the team needing to pay him a $2 million buyout in the offseason.
Robert's injury history gives the White Sox a good reason to unload him. It also gives other teams a reason not to pay the price Getz is wanting. The Sox want trade compensation that is reflective of 2023 Robert, when he played a full season and was an All-Star. But other than 2023, he has always missed significant time, including last season when he missed 60 games with an adductor strain and was a shell of himself at the plate when he returned.
A slow start in 2025 and a concerning injury history could be why the White Sox end up settling for less than initially expected in a Luis Robert trade. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports the New York Mets have checked in on acquiring Robert, with the White Sox eyeing the Mets' No. 15 prospect, pitcher Blade Tidwell.
The Rangers farm system is all over the place
MLB Pipeline and Baseball America ranks Texas' prospect pool as the 19th best in baseball. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel rates the Rangers' farm system 16th-best in the majors. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranks the Rangers in the top 10 at No. 7. In terms of value, FanGraphs has the Rangers in the league's bottom five.
That's a lot of variance for a farm system, which is likely due to the lack of high-end talent.
That high-end talent is attractive, but there is no way Texas would give up top prospect Sebastian Walcott in any trade, let alone a trade for Luis Robert Jr.
Assuming Chris Getz sticks with his asking price of two Top 5 prospects from a team's system, Texas does not have the positional players to offer. Catcher Malcom Moore is the No. 3 prospect in Texas' organization, but the White Sox are already loaded at catcher and the Rangers just drafted Moore in the first round of last year's draft.
If the Sox are willing to acquire pitching, Winston Santos would be a nice addition. However, the White Sox, despite being ravaged by young pitchers needing Tommy John surgery, still have plenty of pitching depth.
If the Rangers do end up calling with interest in Luis Robert Jr., it might be better for the Sox to pass on an offer they make.