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The Colorado Rockies' disastrous season that has them on pace for the worst MLB season ever has made fans quickly forget that the Chicago White Sox set the record for losses in a season in the modern era just last year.
Chicago hasn't improved much since then, either, as Rockies are the only team with a worse record. The White Sox have undergone a massive rebuild in recent years, which has seen them trade almost everybody of note from their roster. The one exception is Luis Robert Jr.
The center fielder has struggled this year, so his trade value isn't nearly as high as it once was. It still seems likely that the White Sox will trade him, though, and Jeff Passan thinks that the San Diego Padres would be a good landing spot. So what would a Robert-to-San-Diego trade look like?
Padres' possible trade package for Luis Robert Jr.
Padres receive: Luis Robert Jr.
White Sox receive: Braden Nett (Padres No. 9)
The Padres have the worst left field situation in baseball. The team is stacked with talent elsewhere, as Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Dylan Cease, Luis Arraez, and Xander Bogaerts are all superstars, but the team has deployed a rotation of Jason Heyward, Gavin Sheets, and Brandon Lockridge in left field.
Heyward is well past his prime and batting just .176 in addition to currently being on the injured list, and Lockridge's production hasn't been much better. Sheets has batted well, but he is best used as a designated hitter or first baseman, which was evident when he was hurt after crashing into the wall in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Padres are 34-24 and have played like one of the top teams in baseball despite their glaring weakness, but they need to plug that hole sooner rather than later. Although Robert has predominately played center field throughout his career, his speed and arm strength would really shine in a corner, especially with Merrill and Tatis also roaming San Diego's outfield.
However, Robert has struggled at the plate this season. The 2023 All-Star is hitting just .177, which doesn't seem like an upgrade from what the Padres currently have going on. Robert is in a bad situation, though, and there is a good chance that he'd turn things around after a change of scenery.
Robert has five-tool potential and hit 38 home runs just two seasons ago. He does swing and miss a lot, but he batted .338 as recently as 2021.
Robert's past success will likely never return, but he should improve in the batter's box as the season goes on. Even if he doesn't, Robert is one of the best base stealers in baseball, which is an area that the Padres lack.
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Robert would be a high-risk, high-reward acquisition for the Padres because he comes at a relatively expensive price tag, but the Padres would keep their farm system intact if they made this move. A Robert trade could pay off in dividends for the Padres.
Would the White Sox trade Luis Robert Jr.?
The White Sox underwent a massive rebuild in 2016, but it only resulted in two playoff runs. The team again had to blow things up over the last couple of years, which has led to the team moving Garrett Crochet, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, and several more.
The rebuild won't be complete until the White Sox trade Robert. Unfortunately, it has become clear that Chicago should have traded him a season or two ago when his trade value was much higher.
The White Sox have club options on the next two years of Robert's contract worth $20 million apiece, and they won't want to pay that at his current production level, so the team should take what they can get for the once-promising outfielder.
Robert is on a downward trajectory, and there is a good chance that his trade value will only continue to go down. He has struggled with injuries and plate discipline throughout his career, and the only thing keeping his trade stock alive is his fluky 2023 season.
The major-league roster doesn't need talent right now because this season is already lost. The White Sox should continue adding to what is one of the best farm systems in baseball, though. This trade proposal nets them Braden Nett, and while the pitcher isn't an elite prospect, he has the potential to become either a solid starting pitcher or reliever at the major-league level.
