Getty The Dodgers could use another outfield bat ahead of the trade deadline. Can they reel in Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox?
The Chicago White Sox are one of MLB’s worst teams and are likely sellers ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the organization is “actively seeking packages” for outfielder Luis Robert Jr. Could the Los Angeles Dodgers be a realistic fit?
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer thinks it’s a possibility. As Robert’s name continues swirling in the trade rumor mill, Rymer listed 10 potential destinations for the right-handed slugger. He ranked the Dodgers as the second-best spot. Here’s the hypothetical trade he put together:
- Dodgers receive: OF Luis Robert Jr.
- White Sox receive: OF Andy Pages and right-handed pitcher River Ryan
Pages made his MLB debut with Los Angeles earlier in the season. He’s hitting .260/.311/.410 with six home runs, eight doubles, 19 RBI and 27 runs scored in 190 plate appearances. Ryan is the Dodgers’ fourth-best prospect, according to MLB.com. He spent the majority of 2023 in Double-A before making two appearances in Triple-A to finish the year. The hurler is currently working his way back after landing on the injured list in April with shoulder fatigue.
Robert Would Give the Dodgers an Upgrade in 2 Ways
The obvious upgrade Robert gives any interested team is on offense. His 2024 playing time has been abbreviated because of an early-season trip to the injured list. However, the outfielder is fresh off a career year at the plate.
Robert was named an American League All-Star and won his first Silver Slugger Award in 2023 after slashing .264/.315/.542 across 595 plate appearances. This was accompanied by career-high marks in homers (38), doubles (36), RBI (80), steals (20) and runs scored (90).
Another way Robert can help a squad is with his glove. He won a Gold Glove Award as a rookie in 2020. Statcast metrics have also shown he’s consistently been an above-average fielder. As of June 10, the Dodgers have recorded three Outs Above Average (OAA) in center field this season. That ranks in the middle of the pack, per Statcast.
Acquiring the 26-year-old would also give Los Angeles an elite cost-controlled talent for the foreseeable future. Robert still has two guaranteed years left on the six-year, $50 million deal he signed with the White Sox ahead of 2020. Two club options can also be exercised for 2026 and 2027.
According to Spotrac, Robert would only cost $67.5 million between 2024 and 2027 with both options exercised. That would take him through his age-29 season.
The Dodgers Can’t Stop Being Aggressive Now
Los Angeles made several headlines this past winter after spending more than $1 billion on player talent. Adding Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and others have helped the club a great deal. But after 67 regular-season games, it’s clear they’ll need to add players ahead of the deadline.
“The MVP trio of Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman has, as expected, been excellent,” Rymer said. “And in the spots behind them, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández are both having fine years. But then things get not so great, and to say center field has been one of the club’s offensive liabilities would be putting it lightly. The position has produced only a .539 OPS, second-lowest in MLB after only the St. Louis Cardinals.”
Success in the regular season hasn’t been a problem for the Dodgers. They’ve won the National League West title 10 times since 2013. They’ve also won 100-plus games four times since 2019. What the club needs help with is getting over the hump in the postseason. L.A. won the 2020 World Series, but the results haven’t been good since then. They lost to the Atlanta Braves in the 2021 NLCS and have been bounced from the NLDS each of the past two years.
Adding an outfielder like Robert would be huge for the Dodgers, both in 2024 and for the next few years. It’ll be interesting to see how seriously L.A. pursues him in the coming weeks and what kind of asking price Chicago will set in negotiations.