White Sox Reportedly Willing to Trade Luis Robert Jr, Should Dodgers Go All-In?
The Chicago White Sox are reportedly open to trading superstar outfielder Luis Robert Jr., according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Passan answered one of the biggest questions leading up to this year’s July 30 trade deadline in the simplest terms: “Yes, the White Sox are willing to deal center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who is expected to return from a hip injury this week and is signed through 2027.”
Robert was one of few (if not the only) players on the White Sox who might not have been available this deadline. Robert is just 26 years old, under multiple years of team control, and is coming off a 2023 season in which he slashed .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs, 80 runs batted in, and an OPS of .857. He made the American League All-Star team, won a Silver Slugger award, and finished 12th in American League MVP voting.
Robert has only appeared in seven games this season due to a hip injury, but he was activated from the injured list Tuesday. If he can stay healthy, Robert will immediately become one of the most sought-after players at the trade deadline.
The Dodgers, who have a huge outfield problem, would have to make that call and do just about whatever it takes to get Robert in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers enter Tuesday’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates with one of baseball’s worst outfields. The Dodgers’ outfielders — which have included (at times) Kiké Hernández, Teoscar Hernández, Jason Heyward, James Outman, Andy Pages, Chris Taylor, Taylor Trammell, and Miguel Vargas — have hit a combined .215 this season, 26th in MLB. They have a combined wRC+ of 87, which ranks 23rd in baseball, and a combined WAR of 1.2, which is tied for 22nd.
When you take into account that Teoscar Hernández by himself is hitting .255 with a wRC+ of 127 and a 1.3 WAR, it shows how disastrous the rest of the outfield has been.
The Dodgers have called up both Pages and Vargas since the season began to try to help, and they’ve patiently waited for Taylor to figure things out. But at some point, might decide enough is enough — and that decision might be hastened if one of baseball’s best young outfielders is made available.
The Dodgers would have to give up a haul to get Robert due to his age, years of team control, and ability, but it would be worth it to shore up an outfield that doesn’t have any true solutions for 2024 or beyond.
Teoscar Hernández is on an expiring deal, as are Heyward and Kiké Hernández. Outman, Pages, and Vargas haven’t yet shown enough to be considered locks to open the 2025 season in the outfield, and Taylor continues to look like an albatross of a contract. The Dodgers owe him $13 million next season, and a $2 million assignment bonus if he’s traded before his contract expires after 2025.
In the farm system, the Dodgers’ top outfield prospects are Josue De Paula, Kendall George, and Zyhir Hope. All are years away from being ready for MLB action.
The Dodgers need to shore up the outfield not only for the present, but for the future. Robert, a 26-year-old slugger out of Cuba, would be the perfect solution.
The Dodgers and White Sox came together for a deadline deal in 2023 that has turned out to be really good for Chicago. (The Dodgers failed to win a playoff game with Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn, while former Dodgers prospects Nick Nastrini and Jordan Leasure are both in their rookie seasons with Chicago).
This summer, maybe they’ll be able to do it again.
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Should the Dodgers go all in for Robert? I’m generally against all in trades but this is the exception. The cost would be gargantuan but this is exactly the player they need.
And yet it still won’t matter unless we have a manager who knows how to manage in the playoffs and in difficult situations. Dave Roberts does nothing – ever – to address hitting and pitching problems and they languish for days and weeks. No, I’m not talking about injuries. His very questionable decisions in the playoffs is now infesting the regular season – case in point the atrocious offensive struggles. This is exactly what has happened in the playoffs and why we’ve lost 6 games in a row in the playoffs and 2 – 8 in our last 10 playoff games. If he can’t fix it – or shows no willingness to address it in 162 games, he sure won’t in a best of 5 or 7. You know, when it matters.
Well said. Regardless, AF needs to find a way to make this trade only parting with catching / pitching. So not all in.
The hitting in my opinion is more about team construction than managing. Roberts doesn’t have a lot to chose from after the first 4 or 5 in the order. If players strikeout what do you do? There’s only so much you can do with a bunt.
Perhaps, but Roberts’ playoff decisions are epic failures – pitching and hitting. He lacks the ability to adjust. The team is the worst in the league – by far – of BA against pitches of 99mph and above. Maybe get a hitting coach to tell major league players how to hit a fast ball? Move the line up around – you know manage your flipping roster and do something. He does nothing, and I’m not just saying bunt, although there are times when appropriate (last week’s game 1 of Mets DH in 9th when Taylor bunted in run from 3rd, which was a HUGE surprise). It’s either feast or famine with these guys and their offense has been just short of dead for the better part of the last 10 games. Personally, I’m not okay with it as that means the end of your season early in the playoffs. You know, exactly like we’ve had the last 3 years. You can be okay with it if you want.
I will never understand why teams wait until the trade deadline to make a trade. The Dodgers need help at present. Why wait to improve the team? Luis Robert would be a BIG help now!!!! Bo Bichette would be a BIG help now !!!!! There are numerous other players that the Dodgers could use. It’s just one of many things I don’t understand about running a major league team. Apparently, common sense is not part of the equation.
I get that this guy is young and under control… But he seems redundant to me…Big power, High strike out. Dont we have Teoscar, Muncy and even Pages for that? We need contact hitters at the back end of the lineup…hitters that get on base, move runners over without the need to hit bombs.
Of course, Luis Robert is the first player the Dodgers should try to get during this season with a view toward playoff success. 1. Betts, 2. Ohtani. 3. Robert, 4. Freeman, 5. Smith 6. T. Muncy 7. Teoscar Hernandez [R, L, R, L, R, L,R], and then 8. another outfielder and 9. Lux. This would be a very good lineup. Improvement at 8 and 9 would be good. Getting Soto next year would be great., Put aside for now reaching 100 wins — that is not the primary goal this season. For the 2024 playoffs, starting pitching looks good. If they stay healthy, they will have 4 starters for the playoffs. Relief pitching looks pretty good. Evan Phillips, Treinen, Hudson, Vesia, and, upon their return, maybe Joe Kelly, Brazier, although the Oakland reliever would be a good addition. And one or more of the starters could be relievers. If there are 6 now, Glasnow, Yamamoto, Buehler, Stone, Paxton, Bobby Miller, and maybe later Kershaw, Dustin May, one or more go to the bullpen, Muncy’s return by the playoffs is an issue to consider. Lux’s failure would be another issue to address at the trade deadline. But Luis Robert for Outman or Pages, Grove, one of the minor league catchers, two minor league pitchers, that would be a very high price but would be the way to go.
We all know what the Dodgers need … hitting outfielder. I wonder how much the fact that Soto will be available next year for a lot of money AND Sasaki will play next year in MLB. The Dodgers have already been linked to both of them but even the Dodgers payroll has limits. Is AF in a bind this season because he and the rest of the “brain trust” are planning ahead and they are are trying to make the best of this season as well as look ahead to next season?