Typically, most MLB trade action during the regular season happens at or near the trade deadline at the end of July. Waiting until the deadline allows selling teams to get a full view of the market, maximizing the returns for their assets. The White Sox reportedly are not operating in that fashion with Luis Robert Jr., however. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported in his new column that the team hopes to trade him by Memorial Day.
Swirling Trade Rumors
Robert Jr.'s involvement in trade talks is not a new development. He was a topic of conversation on the trade market all of last season, this past offseason, and leading into spring training. The White Sox are deep in a rebuild and have parted with virtually all their tradable players except their longtime center fielder. Vice President and General Manager Chris Getz has held firm, refusing to part with Robert Jr. for pennies on the dollar even after the worst season of his career in 2024. Despite rumored interest from several clubs throughout the offseason and spring training, Robert Jr. has remained a member of the White Sox for now.
Robert Jr.'s Recent Surge
The 2025 season looked to be more of the same for Robert Jr. until recently. As of April 24th, he was hitting just .138 with a .493 OPS. He has picked up the pace considerably over the past few weeks however, slashing .297/.409/.568 with three home runs, eight stolen bases, seven walks, nine runs scored, and a .977 OPS in his last ten games. He is drawing more walks than ever while striking out at a lower rate than last year. Historically, Robert Jr. heats up along with the weather. This season has been no exception.
Robert Jr. also leads all of MLB in stolen bases and remains elite in categories such as barrel%, bat speed, sprint speed, and arm value. His recent surge has catapulted him to being a roughly league-average hitter despite a low .246 BABIP, indicating he is due for even more improvement. Above all, he looks fully healthy. Durability has always been his biggest concern and could explain why the White Sox hope to trade him sooner rather than later.
Potential Trade Partners
The million-dollar question in this situation is which teams could have interest in Robert Jr. this early into the season. The Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies have gotten minimal production out of their center fielders and have the prospects to pry Robert away. The Los Angeles Dodgers lost outfielder Teoscar Hernández to injury and can never be ruled out to make a big splash. The Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants also make varying degrees of sense as destinations. Robert Jr.'s blend of power and ability to play a Gold Glove caliber center field is valuable to any team.
From the White Sox perspective, maximizing the prospect package in return is the ultimate goal. The organization got several promising prospects back for Garrett Crochet last winter and will look to continue stockpiling minor leaguers. While Robert Jr.'s current trade value is nowhere near that of what Crochet's was last winter, he is still a dynamic outfielder with skills that most could only dream of. With two and a half seasons of control left on his contract, there should be no shortage of interest from contending teams looking to improve their outfield situations.
Situation To Monitor
Luis Robert Jr. is the White Sox best remaining trade chip as the team looks to continue assembling young talent for the future. While there is an argument that the team would be better off keeping him, it feels inevitable that he will be traded. And if Nightengale is right, that will happen sooner rather than later.
