The Pittsburgh Pirates have been deemed the most likely trade destination for this former All-Star.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have not had any luck on the free-agent market this winter, which should not come as much of a surprise. It's hard to convince players to join the Pirates.
As a result, Pittsburgh may have to turn to the trade block in order to truly bolster its roster, and Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic have revealed a potential acquisition for the Pirates along that front: Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert.
In fact, Rosenthal and Sammon went as far to call Pittsburgh the most likely destination for Robert.
"As detailed last week by MLB.com’s Mike Petriello, right-handed-hitting outfielders are scarce. And while Robert has drawn interest from the Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, he might be more likely to end up with a low-payroll team that ends up striking out on free agents – the Pittsburgh Pirates, for example," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote.
Robert entered the major leagues with the White Sox back in 2020 and made the All-Star team in 2023 after smashing 38 home runs and tallying 80 RBI to go along with an .857 OPS. He also played outstanding center field defense.
Since then, however, Robert's production has declined significantly. He posted nearly identical numbers the past two seasons, homering 14 times each year and posting OPSes of .657 and .661, respectively.
Robert's defense remains well above average and he stole 33 bases in 2025, but there is no question that his bat is a big question mark.
The Buccos are in dire need of hitting after finishing at or near the bottom of baseball in every offensive category this past season. At the very least, Robert offers some upside in that department, and he is still just 28 years old.
However, the catch is that the Cuban native is due $20 million next season after Chicago exercised his 2026 option, so the White Sox will almost certainly have to pay down some of that salary to get the Pirates to bite.
Luckily for Pittsburgh, Robert shouldn't be too costly in terms of prospects, and he may very well comprise one of the team's most realistic potential impactful additions this offseason.
We'll see if the Pirates try to make a move on Robert in the coming weeks.