The Cincinnati Reds have been connected to Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. since before the season began. Isn’t it about time for the Reds and White Sox to find some common ground on a mutually beneficial trade package before the July 31 deadline passes?
Robert is in the final guaranteed year of the six-year, $50 million contract extension he signed with the White Sox in 2020. Though he’s played better of late, Robert still owns a paltry .206/.292/.344 slash line with 10 home runs and 40 RBI, and the White Sox won’t be able to get much in return for his services over the second-half of the season.
But sometimes, all it takes is a change of scenery in order to jumpstart a player’s performance. Former White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn was hitting just .189/.218/.314 before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, and since then has posted a .333/.441/.630 slash line with 12 RBI.
The Reds should trade Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the White Sox for Luis Robert Jr. at the deadline
The Reds could certainly use a right-handed hitting outfielder at this year’s deadline, and Robert represents a clear upgrade over a player like Connor Joe. But what would the White Sox want in return? At this point, it’s certainly less than they were asking for before the season began. In fact, reports earlier this month suggested Chicago was willing to eat a good portion of Robert’s salary.
Would the White Sox entertain the idea of a one-for-one swap of Robert for Christian Encarnacion-Strand? Though some Reds fans would hate the idea of giving up on a young player with such power-potential, the fact of the matter is that Encarnacion-Strand is little more than a depth option in Triple-A at the moment.
Encarnacion-Strand suffered an injury earlier in the season, and outside of an impressive stretch during the Reds’ home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the slugger has been woefully disappointing. Much like Robert could benefit from a change of scenery, the same may hold true for Encarnacion-Strand.
Other minute details may need to be worked out in order to satisfy both sides of this hypothetical deal, but it would give the Reds a right-handed hitting outfielder with plenty of upside, and the White Sox would receive a former top prospect who’s under team control through 2029. It has the potential to be a win-win for both organizations.
