3 contenders willing to meet White Sox loaded asking price for Luis Robert Jr.

The Chicago White Sox didn't expect to win much this season, but somehow, things have been worse than anyone could've predicted. At 17-49, the White Sox have the worst record in the majors, and it's not close. They're a team that already admitted that they're in a rebuild by trading Dylan Cease before the season, and are playing like a team that doesn't care about winning.

With Chicago in a full-blown rebuild, trading their best player, Luis Robert Jr., would make a ton of sense. He's just 26 years old with 3.5 years of control. When healthy, he's a bonafide star with the ability to make an impact everywhere you turn. We saw a glimpse of that last season when he was an All-Star, took home a Silver Slugger, and hit 38 home runs while playing strong defense in his first year of playing 100+ games.

Robert would, understandably, fetch a large return but the White Sox are reportedly seeking a return even larger than anyone could've predicted. USA Today's Bob Nightengale says that they're looking for more than what the Washington Nationals got for Juan Soto back when he was traded to the San Diego Padres.

While the White Sox probably won't get that good of a haul, they're going to get a lot for Robert if he is indeed available. These three teams should meet Chicago's asking price if they get the chance.

3) The Diamondbacks shouldn't be counted out just yet, especially if they can get Luis Robert Jr.

The Arizona Diamondbacks might not look like contenders right now, but after splitting a four-game series in San Diego, they're at 31-35 on the season. They're all but out of the running in the NL West, but are just 1.0 game out of the third NL Wild Card spot. As we saw last season, if this Diamondbacks team can get into the postseason, they're a threat to do some damage.

Assuming their starting pitching can get healthy and Jordan Montgomery can turn his season around at some point, Arizona does have the roster to once again do damage in October, especially if they add a bat like Robert.

Arizona has gotten strong years from big bats like Ketel Marte, Joc Pederson, and Christian Walker, but other players like Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno have struggled. They're ninth in the majors in runs scored, but a lot of that has to do with the hot offensive start that they had. Since May 1, they're 22nd in the majors in runs scored and 22nd in home runs. Adding a big bat like Robert should help immensely in both categories.

Arizona has a good enough farm system to the point where they might not even have to give up their top prospect Jordan Lawlar to get Robert. If that is indeed the case, Mike Hazen should not hesitate.

2) The Dodgers can't be ruled out of any star player chase

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a team that has not shied away from acquiring star-level talent in the past and certainly wouldn't now if Robert was indeed available. They've made trades in recent years for players like Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Max Scherzer, and Tyler Glasnow. The list goes on, honestly. Robert might require more than all of those players because of his team control, but again, it's worthwhile.

The Dodgers have as good of a lineup as any team in the majors, but it's extremely top-heavy. It's virtually impossible to pitch to the top three of Betts, Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman, and it's even hard to pitch to the 4-5-6 of Will Smith, Max Muncy, and Teoscar Hernandez, but the bottom is where things fall off.

Robert would be a luxury for a Dodgers lineup that is capable of winning the World Series without him, but if they have the prospect capital, why not go for it? The Dodgers farm system isn't as loaded as we're accustomed to, but there are still several players that the White Sox would covet.

1) The Phillies might be unstoppable if they pull off a Luis Robert Jr. trade

At 45-20, the Philadelphia Phillies hold the best record in all of baseball. They're a team that has proven it can play well in October, and adding a player of Robert's caliber might make them unstoppable.

One of, if not their biggest weakness, is their center field play. Johan Rojas is a terrific defender, but he has just a .577 OPS playing most of the time at the position. The Phillies have gotten a 71 WRC+ out of their center fielders this season, which is good for 25th in the majors. Robert himself is a terrific defender and when healthy, is one of the best hitters on the planet. This would be a major upgrade.

Can you imagine this Phillies lineup with Robert plugged into the middle of it? How do you pitch to anybody? It'd be as deep of a lineup as there is in the game, and that's in addition to the best rotation in the majors.

The Phillies happen to have an extremely aggressive executive in Dave Dombrowski running the show, and have more than enough prospect capital to get a deal done. It makes too much sense for the Phillies to ignore. If Robert is available, not a single prospect should be untouchable.