An Orioles-White Sox trade for Luis Robert Jr. that doesn't include Jackson Holliday

The AL East divisional race is destined to be one of the most competitive races over the last few seasons. Both the Yankees and the Orioles have all the pieces to have the best record in baseball, but only one of them can win the division.

Both teams will likely look to be pretty aggressive in the trade market, but with the loaded nature of the Baltimore farm system, they have a bit more room to trade for top end talent.

And this is exactly what they could do to fill the hole in their outfield. Baltimore could go out and get the hottest name on the market: the White Sox outfielder Luis Robert.

An Orioles-White Sox trade that makes the AL East that much more competitive

The asking price on Robert is, reportedly, greater than the Juan Soto deal from a few seasons ago. The White Sox will absolutely have to come down from their high horse on this one, as nobody in their right mind would make a trade like that for Robert.

First of all, Soto is better. Leaps and bounds better. Secondly, many looked at the trade as a bit of an overpay in the moment and then Soto turned around and found a way out of San Diego, leaving the Padres as massive losers in the deal. Nobody wants to recreate what happened to the Padres in the Soto deal.

The package for Robert would still be massive though.

This deal centers around the Orioles No. 4 prospect, baseball's No. 21 prospect, Heston Kjerstad. Kjerstad has a chance to come up to Baltimore and play a crucial role for years to come, but in this deal, Robert would simply just be taking his place.

Kjerstad, 25, has terrorized Triple-A pitching. He has true power potential that will absolutely translate to the big league level as well as an above average arm and good athleticism. He's truly a great, not good or solid, prospect.

Chayce McDermott would fill a need for pitching in the Windy City. He has a developed arsenal and has dominated Triple-A hitters for the most part. If he can get his walks under control, 30 walks in 47 innings in 2024, he could be a real threat to crack a big league rotation soon.

Max Wagner, 22, is a rare prospect for the Orioles that has struggled in 2024. While he's struggled, he's still a versatile and above average defender. His bat has potential to float in the 100-120 OPS+ range if he puts the pieces together in the next few years.

Trace Bright adds another arm to the trade that has quite the high ceiling. Bright has an electric arm, but struggles with command, much like many young, electric pitchers in today's game.

The Orioles have such a loaded farm system that they could make this kind of deal and still have one of the best system's in the game. They would add Robert Jr., a 26-year-old outfielder that hit 38 home runs and 36 doubles last year. If he's healthy, he's one of the game's best outfielders. Baltimore could go out and pursue him, as he would boost their AL East chances tremendously.