The New York Mets entered the weekend with the third-best record in the National League, thanks in large part to a pitching staff that has allowed the second-fewest runs (130) in baseball. While the MLB trade deadline is months out, the Mets have reportedly reached out about a trade for an All-Star hitter.
According to USA Today, the Mets are among the teams that recently checked in with the Chicago White Sox on a trade for All-Star outfielder Luis Robert Jr. While a deal isn’t imminent, Chicago knows the Mets’ farm system well enough that it has a top target in a deal.
- Luis Robert Jr stats (ESPN): .186/.293/.326, .619 OPS< 5 home runs, 15 steals in 129 at-bats
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Nightengale writes that the White Sox are ‘eyeing’ pitching prospect Blake Tidwell as part of a trade package in exchange for Robert. Tidwell, age 23, made his MLB debut on May 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals with 12 base runners and 6 earned runs allowed in 3.2 innings.
Entering this season, Tidwell was rated as the 15th-best prospect in the Mets’ farm system by MLB.com. The 6-foot-4 righty has a 4.45 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with a 42-11 K-BB ratio across 30.1 innings at Triple-A this year. If acquired, he would likely have a shot to be part of the White Sox rotation almost immediately.
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- Luis Robert Jr (Spotrac): $15 million salary in 2025, $20 million club options 2026-’27
Robert, who turns 28 in August, hasn’t recaptured the form that made him an All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner in 2023. Over the last two seasons, the right-handed hitter has a .215/.282/.366 slash line with a .648 OPS and he ranks 172nd in FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement (0.7) among players with 500-plus plate appearances. Entering MLB games today, Robert ranks 72nd in Baseball Savant‘s Fielding Run Value.
While teams might believe a change of scenery will help Robert perform better, he’s likely viewed as a half-season rental. There’s a $20 million club option for the 2026 season, but the team can pay a $2 million buyout to get out of the deal.
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