As he's heated up lately, Luis Robert Jr.'s name has picked up more steam on the trade market. One of the teams that figures to be involved is the San Diego Padres, given their dire need for a left fielder. Based on the latest Robert update coming from Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic ($), they might have a tougher time acquiring Robert than anyone could've expected.
"Two clubs made aggressive attempts last week to land Luis Robert Jr., league sources said, but the Chicago White Sox wanted a better return of prospects. Indeed, Robert picked a fascinating time for a hot streak."
To be abundantly clear, we have no idea which clubs pursued Robert and what the "aggressive attempts" actually looked like. However, if the White Sox truly passed on "aggressive attempts" in hopes of getting something better for Robert, he might not be worth pursuing at all.
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White Sox price for Luis Robert Jr. might be too high for Padres to justify
In just 10 games this month, Robert has hit two home runs, stolen three bases and has 12 hits in 33 at-bats (.364 BA) overall. He's raised his season OPS over 50 points from .584 to .636 in that span. It's a small sample size, but Robert has looked more like the superstar he was in 2023 for the White Sox.
For that reason, teams have been "aggressive" to try and land him now, but is a nice 10-game stretch really worth giving up a haul to acquire him? I mean, back when Robert was performing like a star for a full season in 2023, there was reason to believe he was worth a mega-package, but times are different now. Not only has he underperformed since, but he's had trouble staying healthy.
Robert should be seen as a buy-low opportunity and nothing more. I get the appeal, as he's supremely talented and has performed at a superstar level before. But even with his hot streak, a .636 OPS is not a startable player, even with strong defense and speed. If the White Sox are seriously turning down "aggressive" offers for him, the Padres must look elsewhere.
Outside of top prospect Leo De Vries, who I'm sure the Padres will be extremely reluctant to move, San Diego doesn't have much in terms of super-appealing prospect capital. Trading some of their few enticing prospects to take a massive gamble on Robert doesn't make much sense, especially when they have other roster needs to address.
If the Padres want Robert, they should hope Chicago's asking price decreases. If it doesn't, A.J. Preller must pivot elsewhere.