The Philadelphia Phillies enter June 27 games with an MLB-high 53 wins. That’s accompanied by a sizable 8.5-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. Philly could still use an upgrade or two before the July 30 trade deadline. Could they make a big splash by acquiring Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr.?
With about one month before the trade deadline, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter cooked up 10 trade proposals to help contending teams. Here’s the five-player deal he created that would send Robert to Philly:
Phillies receive: outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
White Sox receive: right-handed pitcher Mick Abel, shortstop Starlyn Caba, catcher Eduardo Tait and left-handed pitcher Samuel Aldegheri
“It would be a big swing for the fences by the Phillies, but their title window is open right now and Robert could be the missing piece that pushes them over the top,” Reuter said.
MLB.com ranked Abel (second), Caba (fifth) and Tait (eighth) within the organization’s top 10 prospects at the start of 2024. Aldegheri is still within the top 30, checking in at 23rd. This is a steep price to pay, but Reuter’s scenario has Philly holding onto hurler Andrew Painter, the club’s top-ranked prospect.
Robert Would Fit Perfectly Into the Phillies’ Offense
The Phillies entered June 27 games with one of the league’s best offenses. The team’s 113 wRC+ is tied for the fifth-best mark in baseball, per FanGraphs. But one clear problem area for Philadelphia on offense resides in center field. The 70 wRC+ manager Rob Thomson has gotten out of that position is the fifth-worst mark in MLB.
That’s where Robert could come in and make an immediate impact. He’s been limited to 114 plate appearances in 2024 because of a trip to the injured list. However, the right-handed slugger has still managed a 109 wRC+ with a .204/.281/.485 line, eight home runs and 15 RBI.
There are three main reasons why he’s such a prime trade candidate this summer. He’s not only fresh off a career year at the plate (38 homers and 80 RBI in 2023), but Robert is only 26 years old. The slugger can also be under contract through 2027 for what could be a bargain if he remains healthy.
He’s in his second-to-last season of a six-year, $50 million contract he signed with Chicago before 2020. Robert is earning $12.5 million in 2024 and $15 million in 2025. That’s the end of his guaranteed contract, but two $20 million club options can be exercised. So, any team that acquires Robert could get three-plus years of him at a cost-controlled price.
White Sox Are in ‘No Rush’ to Trade Robert
A huge variable in this situation is what the White Sox are thinking. Chicago owns MLB’s worst record, so selling at the deadline is a given. However, it’s undetermined just who they might send packing.
There might be concerns with Robert’s injury history. That could make it difficult for White Sox general manager Chris Getz to receive a huge haul of prospects in return for trading his starting center fielder.
“Given Robert’s talent and club control, two high-ranking rival officials said Chicago has no need to feel any urgency to move him despite the club’s undesirable state,” a June 20 report from The Athletic stated. “The general feeling within the industry is that the White Sox are in no rush to deal him, either. They can wait until the offseason when teams are in more flexible positions with their rosters.”
Patience from Chicago was already on display this past offseason. Starting pitcher Dylan Cease was a hot name in the trade rumor mill for months. Despite that, Getz didn’t budge on his high asking price for the hurler. They finally traded him to the San Diego Padres, but it took until February.
It’s not outrageous to think they’d do it again to get the best package possible. That doesn’t mean teams won’t still come calling, though.
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