Trade Proposal Sends Phillies $50 Million All-Star Slugger in 4-Player Swap

Getty White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. is a prime trade candidate this season. Could the Philadelphia Phillies be a realistic landing spot?

The Philadelphia Phillies are among baseball’s best teams thanks to a 44-19 record through their first 63 games. Could president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski try to make a big splash by pursuing Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. before the July 30 trade deadline?

The 2023 All-Star has seen his name churning through the rumor mill lately. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on June 6 that the White Sox are “actively seeking packages” for the slugger. With that in mind, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer ranked 10 landing spots for Robert.

He put the Phillies at the top of his list. Here is the trade proposal he cooked up:

• Phillies receive: outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
• White Sox receive: shortstop Aidan Miller, outfielder Justin Crawford and shortstop William Bergolla

According to MLB.com, Miller (second), Crawford (fourth) and Bergolla (11th) are all among the Phillies’ top 15 prospects.

“Consider this a reminder that the Phillies also have a good farm system going for them, yet this deal would still allow them to keep their No. 1 and No. 3 prospects in right-handers Andrew Painter and Mick Abel,” Rymer said.

Robert Would Give the Phillies a Long-Term Answer in Center Field

The Phillies’ current starting center fielder is Johan Rojas. While he’s been solid defensively, there hasn’t been much offensive production this year. Rojas hit .302/.342/.430 in 164 plate appearances for Philly in 2023, but his batting line has dropped to .234/.273/.299 across 180 trips to the plate in 2024.

If Dombrowski wants to make a big splash for the offense, acquiring Robert would be intriguing. While he’s only accumulated 45 plate appearances in 2024 because of a trip to the injured list, Robert is fresh off a breakout 2023 campaign. He slashed .264/.315/.542 with career-high marks in home runs (38), doubles (36), RBI (80) and runs scored (90).

Even with the potential injury concerns, Robert’s contract situation makes a hypothetical acquisition for Philly even more tantalyzing. He has two guaranteed seasons remaining on the six-year, $50 million contract he signed with Chicago ahead of 2020. The outfielder is making $12.5 million this year and $15 million in 2025, per Spotrac.

However, there’s also a pair of $20 million club options in 2026 and 2027. Robert will be under contract through his age-29 season if both options get exercised.

Is This a Trade the White Sox Would Agree To?

As with any potential trade scenario, both sides must agree for something to happen. Is Rymer’s proposal something the White Sox would be open to entertaining?

This hypothetical trade allows the Phillies to hold onto top prospects Andrew Painter and Mick Abel. However, it’s not as if Chicago wouldn’t get an exciting group of players in exchange for Robert in this scenario. “And yet, the White Sox wouldn’t be settling,” Rymer said. “Miller has a future as a power-hitting infielder and Crawford is a speedster in the mold of his old man, Carl. As returns go, this would be exciting indeed.”

The White Sox spent most of this past offseason not budging on their high asking price for starting pitcher Dylan Cease. It’ll be interesting to see how negotiations differ since teams are actively searching for midseason upgrades.