The biggest dark horse of them all linked to shocking Luis Robert Jr. trade

When healthy, Luis Robert Jr. is one of the best outfielders in baseball. Unfortunately for Robert Jr., he hasn't been healthy for most of this season, playing in just 15 games so far. Robert has a gold glove, silver slugger and All-Star appearance to his name.

While the rumor mill is more hearsay and speculation at this point in trade season than cold, hard facts, the White Sox are willing to trade anyone for the right price. The asking price for Robert Jr. is reportedly high, with a report by USA Today's Bob Nightengale suggesting they want a Juan Soto-sized package for him. Robert Jr. is All-Star caliber, but he is no Soto.

Thus far, the Philadelphia Phillies are the favorites to land Robert Jr., but they're not alone. A piece by Jim Bowden of The Athletic mentioned several surprising suitors for Robert beyond Philly, including the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and...the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Could the Pittsburgh Pirates trade for Luis Robert Jr.?

It's only mid-June, but the Pirates, like most teams in the National League, are squarely in the race for the third Wild Card spot. Pittsburgh has a solid rotation headlined by Mitch Keller, Jared Jones and No. 1 prospect Paul Skenes. The bullpen could use some work beyond David Bednar, but what the Bucs are lacking most is a high-profile bat. Here's what Bowden had to say:

"There is a lot of excitement in Pittsburgh with the emergence of rookie starting pitchers Paul Skenes and Jared Jones who, along with veteran Mitch Keller, have given the Pirates a starting rotation with arguably the best Nos. 1-3 in the division. If they can just improve their offense to middle of the pack, they might be able to stay in the wild-card race all season."

Robert Jr. was the biggest name mentioned by Bowden in connection to the Pirates. Pittsburgh has the farm system to get a deal done, and Robert Jr. is signed through 2027 at just $20 million AAV with two club options. That's the kind of contract that would attract a team like Pittsburgh and owner Bob Nutting. It's not often a real star is available on such a low yearly cost.

Trading for Robert Jr. would signal a changing of the guard in the Steel City. The Pirates rarely go all-in, but with the young rotation talent they already have on the roster, pairing Robert Jr. with Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds would make the Bucs very dangerous.