The New York Mets just landed a defensive star from the struggling Chicago White Sox.
The New York Mets aren't going down without a fight.
The baseball world was shocked late last week when the reigning World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, signed outfielder Kyle Tucker to a four-year $240 million deal. Adding one of baseball's most talented players to an already loaded roster that's looking to three-peat in the upcoming season, the Dodgers are the team to beat.
However, Mets' owner Steve Cohen hasn't been known to back down from a fight, and still wants to prove to the baseball world that New York is ready to compete in 2026.
After losing first baseman Pete Alonso to the Baltimore Orioles, along with losing out on the bidding war for Tucker, Mets general manager David Stearns struck a deal with the Chicago White Sox to bring one of the best defensive-minded outfielders in the majors to Queens.
"BREAKING: The New York Mets in agreement on a trade to acquire center fielder Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox," ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday night. "White Sox will receive two young players from the Mets."
Robert Jr. hit .223 with 26 extra-base hits including 14 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .661 OPS (85 OPS+) for the White Sox last season.
Those numbers don't jump off the page, but Stearns brought the 28-year-old to New York for his defense. Robert Jr. won a Gold Glove in his rookie season back in 2020, and in 2025 came in at the 93rd percentile in outs above average, per Baseball Savant.
Shortly after the announcement of the trade, Passan followed up with the reveal of the two Mets players being sent to the Southside: Infielder Luisangel Acuña and right-hander Truman Pauley.
On the same evening that Major League Baseball revealed its 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, which included former Met Carlos Beltrán, New York decided to make a splash on the trade market.
Whether this is the last big move for the Mets ahead of the 2026 season is yet to be seen, but the club could certainly benefit from adding another bat to its lineup.
There's roughly one month remaining until the league's first Spring Training game, so it should be time for the Mets to start firing on all cylinders if they'd like to make another splash before the season.
Regardless of what the future holds, adding Robert Jr. to the roster was a great move by the front office, and it should excite fans. It likely won't put the club in a position to take down the Dodgers, but it's a step in the right direction.