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The Pittsburgh Pirates have a historic pitching rotation with Paul Skenes at the top. He won the Rookie of the Year and should be in serious contention for the Cy Young Award this year. But they need offense to complement their great pitching and should acquire an impactful bat before Spring Training. The Pirates must trade for Luis Robert Jr from the White Sox this offseason.
The White Sox had the worst season in modern MLB history with 121 losses last season. They already traded ace starting pitcher Garrett Crochet and should trade Robert to finish off their teardown. Reports surfaced on Thursday that the White Sox and Reds were close on a Robert trade but it fell through. That shows that Chicago is open to dealing Robert and the Reds won't be in the conversation for now.
The National League Central saw a massive power switch this offseason. The Cubs added Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly while the Brewers lost Willy Adames and Devin Williams. And Chicago might not be done adding, as Dylan Cease rumors are heating up. Milwaukee has not added much this offseason and the Pirates could enter the division title conversation with this move.
Part of Ken Rosenthal's report about the Reds deal was the asking price. The White Sox were asking for Edwin Arroyo, Cincinnati's top position player prospect, and more. But the Pirates should not let that stop them as they can trade from a position of strength. Three of their top five prospects are right-handed pitchers. With Paul Skenes and Jared Jones already in the majors, they have a surplus.
The White Sox got four top-15 prospects from the Red Sox in the Crochet trade. They should request a similar package in return from Robert and the Pirates can match that.
The Pirates are the perfect fit for Luis Robert Jr.
The Pirates have not made the playoffs since 2015 and finally have a core worth building around. With Oneil Cruz moving to the outfield, they need a solid centerfielder to direct traffic out there. Robert is a great centerfielder when healthy and should be the everyday guy in center wherever he goes.
While the defense is a key part of this trade, the Pirates need Robert's bat in the worst way. He had his worst year last year, with a career-low 87 OPS+ and .224 batting average. Playing on the worst team of all time likely did not help his struggles and an injury cut out 62 games. Injuries are the biggest concern for Robert, who has only played 100 games twice in five years.
While the Pirates have a strong pipeline, they do not have many outfielders coming to the majors soon. Nick Yorke and Billy Cook could make the team out of Spring Training but have positional versatility that could land them in the infield. They need the bat for their lineup but could also use the extra glove in the outfield long-term.
Another concern with the deal for the Pirates is the money. Robert is due $15 million this season and has $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027. He would be the second-highest-paid player on the team this year, behind Mitch Keller, and the highest-paid next year. They could not give up the package Chicago is asking for without picking up the options, so the financials must be considered.
The White Sox were willing to pay some of Robert's salary in the Reds deal but not as much as Cincinnati wanted them to. That is something the Pirates should consider before picking up the phone and calling Chris Getz.
What would a Luis Robert Jr trade look like?
If the Pirates were to acquire Luis Robert Jr from the White Sox, they would give up a lot to get him. Right-handed pitcher Thomas Harrington (PIT #5, MLB #91), 2b/SS Termarr Johnson (PIT #3, MLB #75), and righty pitcher Levi Sterling (PIT #11) would be a good start to the package.
The White Sox got four prospects for Crochet and could ask the same from the Pirates. But considering his injury history, this package would be a fair return for one of the biggest deals of the offseason.