MLB insider reveals top prospect Phillies will have to trade for Luis Robert Jr.

The Philadelphia Phillies own the best record in baseball. Their starting rotation has more or less obliterated opponents top to bottom (with a single, Taijuan Walker-sized exception). The bullpen is excellent. And, as we all know, the offense is crackling with electricity.

Few teams can get hotter, faster than the Phils. Bryce Harper would deserve MVP votes if the season ended today. Ranger Suarez and Zack Wheeler might as well finish 1-2 in Cy Young voting under the same circumstances. As Trea Turner gets back up to speed and the Phillies recover from injuries, ideally, it's all up from here.

That said, Dave Dombrowski has not built the perfect roster. No such thing exists. There are always weaknesses for opponents to exploit. As last season showed, even the slightest fissure can lead to a full-blown collapse in the playoffs. Philadelphia cannot leave any stone unturned.

Right now, outfield is the major area of concern. Johan Rojas was recently demoted to Triple-A and Cristian Pache isn't exactly a Silver Slugger. Brandon Marsh continues to struggle against lefties, while Nick Castellanos has been even more volatile than usual in 2024.

Philadelphia can more or less count on Castellanos to figure it out. They have to, and the results have been moving in the right direction lately. Marsh is another candidate for positive regression, but centerfield is a plain ol' black hole. Philadelphia needs to add a more reliable bat.

If only there was a historically bad team selling all its best players with an All-Star, Gold Glove centerfielder who hit 38 home runs last season...

Oh yeah, there is. Chicago White Sox slugger Luis Robert Jr. is up for grabs, and Philadelphia is as strong a candidate to land him as any team. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, however, the 26-year-old won't come cheap.

Phillies would need to part with elite prospect to land Luis Robert Jr.

Passan believes the Phils would need to part with Aidan Miller, a 2023 first-round pick who is rocketing up prospect rankings. The 20-year-old shortstop has been extremely productive between Low-A and High-A this season, slashing .267/.397/.465 with six home runs, 31 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 187 AB.

"Chicago could reasonably ask Philadelphia for Aidan Miller, who dropped to the 27th overall pick in last year's MLB draft and could end this season as a top 25 prospect. The Phillies' system is as deep as it's been in years, thanks to the emergence of fireballing right-hander George Klassen and shortstop Starlyn Caba, who have joined Andrew Painter (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Mick Abel near the top of Philadelphia's prospect rankings."

With few truly elite bats available on the trade market, Chicago can set a high bar in Robert negotiations. Not only is he 26, but Robert comes with 3.5 years of team control over his contract, allowing up to four postseason runs before Philadelphia risks losing him. All four would come smack in the middle of Robert's athletic prime. Those opportunities don't come around often.

There are injury concerns with Robert, who missed a couple months this season with a right hip flexor strain. He has struggled a bit ramping up since his return, slashing .198/.284/.484 with seven home runs and 11 RBI across 91 AB for the season. It's only a matter of time until Robert is back on track, though, and a change of scenery can't hurt. He would go from baseball's most depressing situation in Chicago to its most exciting in Philadelphia. That's enough to bring anybody out of a stupor at the plate.

Philadelphia fans are surely fine with paying a premium. Last season was indicative of Robert's immense ceiling. He bashed 38 homers and stole 20 bases, putting his elite tools on full display. Robert strikes out too much, but Philadelphia has more than enough stability at the top of the lineup (when healthy) to invest in Robert's explosive potential without fretting about the occasional dud performance.

With his track record of aggression at the trade deadline, expect Dave Dombrowski to investigate Robert until he's in a Phillies uniform or he's no longer an option.