Phillies dream trade target may no longer be an option at the deadline

The Philadelphia Phillies have one major hole in their roster. One major void that's holding them back from finding their true top potential this season. One trade could cement them atop the NL East, over top of the Braves for good.

That void is in the outfield and they have one dream target in mind: Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox have actively shopped Robert this season and the Phillies have the need for him. The Phillies also have the prospect capital that it would take to make a blockbuster deal like this happen. For a while, this dream trade scenario was seeming more and more likely as the days went by.

But the White Sox aren't required to trade Robert midseason. They may be better off waiting until the offseason to do so.

White Sox deadline plans may have changed, limiting a Luis Robert move for the Phillies

As the days have gone by, it's becoming common knowledge that the White Sox aren't in a rush to deal Robert. They're reportedly demanding a high price tag for the superstar outfielder, one that rivals the Juan Soto deal from a few years ago.

The Athletic MLB Staff of Will Sammon, Patrick Mooney, and Ken Rosenthal recently made a point about this.

"The general feeling within the industry is that the White Sox are in no rush to deal him, either. They can wait until the offseason when teams are in more flexible positions with their rosters," they wrote.

This idea makes a ton of sense for both parties. The only flaw, for the White Sox, is that they might not get the same package of prospects that they're looking for. The team that would trade for Robert would be getting half a season less for him than they would be if they made a deal for him right now.

But on the bright side, Robert would have time to play his way into more value. As of today, he's hitting under .200 because he hasn't been able to find a consistent stride without injuries in 2024. If Robert is able to still hit 30 home runs and put up an OPS+ in the 130-160 range, his value would be tremendously higher than it is now.

The knock on Robert is health and consistency. If he can stay healthy and consistent down the stretch of this season, his value could rise tremendously. If the White Sox do opt to wait until the offseason to trade him, then the Phillies would have to look elsewhere for a slugging outfielder.