The Philadelphia Phillies are usually pretty good at signaling when they are going to be in on a major star. By the time Bryce Harper and Trea Turner became free agents, it was the worst-kept secret in the world that the Phillies would pursue them.
Granted, the trade market is different than free agency, but it feels pretty noteworthy that a pair of the most accomplished baseball writers of all time have poured cold water on the idea of the Phillies trading for Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
The latest came from Hall of Famer Jayson Stark, who was pretty adamant in a spot on 97.5 The Fanatic Wednesday that the Phillies won’t be trading for Robert in advance of the July 30 trade deadline.
In an appearance on “Foul Territory” earlier this month, Ken Rosenthal shared a similar message.
“I don’t see them trading for Luis Robert Jr., to answer everyone’s question,” Rosenthal said. “Because they don’t necessarily have a need for that type of guy right now. Everyone would love to have Robert, of course, but they also want to preserve what they have in young talent, the prospects coming, to balance their payroll in the years ahead.”
Robert homered 38 times and posted an .857 OPS for the White Sox a year ago, making his first All-Star Game appearance and winning a Silver Slugger Award. It’s easy to see what any team would like about Robert. He’s still only 26 years old, and his contract runs through 2025, with $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027.
However, 2023 was the only time in Robert’s career that he’s played more than 100 games in a season. He’s played in just 48 of Chicago’s 103 games this season, having missed nearly two months with a right hip flexor strain. Betting on a player with that health history is a risky proposition, especially considering it would likely require giving up a package of prospects headlined by No. 2 prospect Aidan Miller to obtain him.
For better of for worse, it appears that the most likely scenario is that the Phillies will go forward with Nick Castellanos entrenched in right field, and three players — Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas and a third player, yet to be acquired — splitting time in left and center field.
Earlier this week on Phillies Nation, wed made our predictions on who that third player is most likely to be.
