The Philadelphia Phillies have been connected to a very intriguing trade for a former All-Star.
The Philadelphia Phillies definitely need to address their woeful outfield situation this winter. Harrison Bader and Max Kepler are both free agents, and the Phillies are pleading with teams to take Nick Castellanos off their hands.
Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger were viewed as possibilities earlier this offseason, but Philadelphia re-signing Kyle Schwarber to a $150 million deal may have put the kibosh on either player.
As a result, the Phillies may need to explore the trade market, and it seems like that is exactly what president Dave Dombrowski is doing.
In fact, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic have revealed that Philadelphia has held trade discussions with the Chicago White Sox regarding former All-Star outfielder Luis Robert.
There is a caveat, however: Robert is due $20 million next season after the White Sox exercised his 2026 option, so Chicago may need to eat some salary in order to move him.
Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert. Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images."To make such a deal happen, the White Sox almost certainly would need to include cash to make Robert more affordable," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote. "They are open to doing that as a way of enhancing the return, according to a club official."
Robert entered the big leagues back in 2020 and had a breakout campaign in 2023 when he slashed .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs and 80 RBI while playing tremendous center field defense en route to an All-Star appearance.
However, the last couple of seasons, Robert's production has plummeted.
He slashed .224/.278/.379 with 14 homers and 35 RBI in 2024 and then posted nearly identical numbers this past year, slashing .223/.297/.364 with 14 long balls and 53 RBI.
Perhaps a change of scenery would largely benefit Robert, who has virtually no protection in Chicago's lineup. At the very least, he would bring significant home-run potential to a Phillies club that could use it, and he is a plus defender. Plus, he stole 33 bases in 2025.
Robert also wouldn't be too expensive in terms of prospect capital, so Philadelphia could probably acquire him without surrendering one of its top trade chips.
The 28-year-old would definitely comprise a compelling addition for Phillies, even if he is a boom-or-bust type of player.