The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the top teams in the MLB and they are linked to trading for a star outfielder to bolster their rotation.
The Phillies will likely be buyers ahead of the trade deadline, and MLB insider Mike Axisa of CBS Sports links Philadelphia to trading for Chicago White Sox star Luis Robert Jr.
“The ChiSox shipped out ace Garrett Crochet over the winter, but they opted to hold onto Robert, and will instead let him rebuild value this season before making a trade. Robert, 27, is coming off a .224/.278/.379 line in 100 games around injuries in 2024,” Axisa wrote. “He’s also a year removed from hitting 38 home runs and playing Gold Glove-caliber defense in center.
“Robert’s contract is all upside. He’s owed $15 million in 2025 and has $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027. If he’s great, you can keep him for two more years beyond this one. If he’s bad, you can walk away. Similar to the Marlins and Alcantara, don’t be surprised if the White Sox act quickly to move Robert, especially if he comes out of the gate strong. Early possible landing spots: Astros, Phillies, Reds,” Axisa added.
Robert is owed $15 million in 2025 before two club options. So, Philadelphia would have him under control for the foreseeable future.
Robert would bolster the Phillies outfield which is expected to be Nick Castellanos, Max Kepler, and Brandon Marsh. He hit .224 with 14 home runs and 35 RBIs in 100 games with the White Sox last season.
Phillies President Believes Team Can Win World Series
Philadelphia will likely be buyers at the deadline and Robert would fill a need in the outfield and bolster the lineup.
The Phillies are one of the best teams in the MLB and President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski is confident his team can win. Dombrowski says he feels like the Phillies have a championship-caliber team in 2025.
“Really, I think our club has been good enough the last couple of years to win a world championship,” Dombrowski said to Forbes. “Sometimes, you just have to play better at the right time. In ‘23, we all of a sudden quit hitting for a couple of games. I felt before that we were going to play in the World Series. Then last year, we didn’t play well.
“You’re always looking to get better. We want to be better. But sometimes it comes down to playing well at the right time,” Dombrowski added. “So sometimes you might want to change a person or two (on the roster). But the reality is we feel we have a championship-caliber team.”
Philadelphia has the fourth-best odds of winning the World Series at +1200, which implies a 7.7 chance.
Robert Involved in Trade Rumors
Robert’s name has come up in trade rumors for quite some time, but he says he would like to play for just one team.
The star outfielder has only played for the White Sox, but he says being traded is not something he can control.
“It’s been my team throughout my whole professional career in the U.S., right?” Robert said to MLB.com. “It would be beautiful to have experienced playing for just one team. The team that gave me the opportunity to make my dream come true. That would be a really beautiful story. But that’s something I can’t control.”
Robert is a one-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove winner, and one-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
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