The New York Mets have had a relatively quiet start to this offseason. The concerning part is the fact that they’ve lost three of their very key contributors to either free agency or trades. First, New York traded away Brandon Nimmo, and then lost both Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz to free agency.
These moves leave the Mets with a clear need for an outfielder, and if they can not win the bidding war for either Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker, there are also good options via the trade market. One name that the Mets could explore is White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
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Could the Mets Explore A Trade for Luis Robert Jr?
If the New York Mets miss out on the top outfield targets, David Stearns and the rest of the front office should absolutely explore a trade for Luis Robert Jr.
Francys Romero de béisbolfr.com reports that a few MLB teams, including the New York Mets, have expressed interest in the White Sox center fielder.
Jon Heyman of MLBNetwork also indicated earlier this week that the Mets might be open to trading Jonah Tong due to New York’s farm system depth and need for an outfielder. In this trade idea, the Mets would trade away Tong and Starling Marte in return for Luis Robert Jr.
GettyLuis Robert Jr of the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox picked up the $20 million option on Robert Jr. this offseason to avoid outright free agency, but he is still a prime trade target. The Mets may be willing to take on that $20 million.
After a tough first half of the 2025 season, Robert Jr. returned from injury in July and started to look more like the All-Star version of himself.
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What Would Robert Jr.’s Fit With the Mets Be?
Luis Robert Jr. could either slot in as the everyday center or left fielder for the Mets. Jeff McNeil saw some playing time out in center at the end of last year, but that was due to the Mets’ lack of depth with outfield options.
In 110 games last season, Robert Jr. hit .223 with 14 home runs and an OPS+ of 86. In 2024, Robert Jr. posted an OPS+ of 85 through 100 games.
Injuries have certainly been a concern throughout his career, but Robert Jr. has shown that he can be a very successful MLB player. He posted a 130 OPS+ in 2023 and hit 38 home runs and 36 doubles.
Although his last two years haven’t been so successful, Robert Jr. will continue to be the subject of trade rumors for as long as he’s under the age of 30.
Would Mets’ fans want this deal to take place? That part is uncertain, but they may have no choice but to live with it if the front office doesn’t make any big splashes in free agency over the course of the next month.
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