Today: The Phillies also have a recent interest in Rosert, according to the character of Ken Rosenthal and will make sammons, continue Philadelphia’s evaluation of Robert back at the trade deadline. Robert’s right-handed bat would be a good complement to the remaining shingers Brandon marsh and Justin Crawford In the Philadelphia Outfield, and having an experienced center field option like Robert provides cover for the Phillies if Crawford is not ready for an extended period of time as he did his MLB DUT.
December 13: last month, the White Sox picked up their $20mm option on him Luis Robert Jr. General manager Chris Getz We signed that the club planned for Robert to be their starting center Fielder in 2026. That didn’t stop clubs from inquiring about his availability through his trade talks, the padres, and the pirates expressed interest in acquiring Robert.
The 28-year-old hit .223/.297/.364 with 84 wrc+ across 110 games for the White Sox this year. His first half was brutal, as he hit only .185 / .270 / .313 with 63 wrc + in 73 games on June 25, when he suffered a severe hamstring strain a few days later. Robert was striking out in 30.9% of plate appearances, an improvement from 33.2% last year. He had a pass rate of 10.2%, but for the most part, he was continuing the annoying slump that started in the 84 WRC + WRC season.
His second half was a clear improvement. Robert returned to the IL on July 8 and batted .293 / .349 / .459 in 124 WRC + his next plate appearance. After dealing with luck-bound luck in the first half of the season (.245 Babip), he benefited from good order in his return (.317 Babip). He also dropped his field goal percentage to 16.4% in the second half, bringing the Master down to 26.0% on the season. His recovery was enough that the Shithish Sox held on to Robert at the deadline, despite interest from several clubs. Unfortunately, he suffered another hamstring strain and was placed on the Il in late August, ultimately ending his season.
The result was a season worth 1.3 tackles according to fangraphs. If you look at the big picture, it’s clear that Robert has fallen from the height of his 2023 season, when he posted a 129+ WRC and hit 38 home runs in a career-high 145 games while earning a Star-High Nod. That was the fourth season of the six-year, $50mm extension Robert signed in January 2020, which was a record for an undisputed player in the majors. Robert’s production from 2020-23 made it look good, but his decline in 2024-25 (the second half back was made a $20mm club option in 2026 is very expensive.
In the end, the team took the option instead of paying Robert a $2mm buyout. On top of that, the $18mm Net value was a lot for a player who was inclined to send an offense for less than two years, especially for a rebuilding club. The move may be motivated by the lack of a stand-up center in the free center. Trent Grisham He had a strong year in 2025 but accepted reasonable offers rather than testing the market. Cody Bellinger is still available, but he is a corner cloth at this stage of his career. Harrison Babhele he is a unique defender and will do well concerning the year for several years, although to show the possibilities of his career – showing to be seen in 2025 was part of a good Fort Fortune (.359).
The CLUB hopes that Robert will have a decent offensive showing in 2026, which would make him a strong candidate for next year’s job. Still, it’s not surprising to see teams doing their due diligence now, despite Getz’s earlier comments. Eight teams were interested in Robert at this year’s deadline, including the Cubs and Padres. Most commonly used corpses Tyrone Taylor Midway through 2025, but only posted 70 wrtc+ in 341 plate appearances. They are trying to increase through trade Cedric Mullinsbut he himself posted a 66 wrc + in 143 pelate appearances and went to the rays of free agency. The club is optimistic Carson Benge there was a knock on the door. A trade for Robert would be able to command a high paying club and give them an everyday center fielder if they want to cut down on the majors.
Padres and lungs equal more consciousness. More than that Jackson Merrill focused firmly on the core. He is coming off a 3.0 FWAR season and signed an extension in April that will guarantee him $135mm through 2034. RosterRerource can be a strong defender, if OsterRersourn San Diego was paid 2026, compared to $ 211mm this year. Team chairman John Seidler recently revealed that the team will operate at the same level of payroll. They needed the White Sox to cover at least half of Robert’s salary to facilitate an offseason trade, and that’s before leaving room to do something else.
At that time, the Pirates showed an increasing determination to destroy the blocks. They made a donation of $80mm Josh Naylor and they were willing to pay Kyle Schwarber $120-$125mm before the rematch with the Phillies. That said, Robert is obviously not on the same level as Naylor or Schwarber. Pittsburgh has it too Oneil Cruz Under control by 2028. Like Robert, Cruz had a solid average showing in 2025 (86 wrc+), but cruz is more expensive, with a $3.6mm base salary in his guaranteed arbitration transition if guaranteed at $20mm. Pittsburgh may be doing their due diligence, though it’s pretty clear that Robert is staying in Chicago in the offseason.
Images courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagin images
