The Philadelphia Phillies had their eyes on a few outfielders at the trade deadline before landing on the Minnesota Twins' Harrison Bader, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox was a familiar option for the Phillies, but they found themselves seeking help elsewhere yet again. Could the Phillies actually regret not pushing harder for him at the deadline?
The White Sox have been involved in trade talks regarding their center fielder for a few years now. He hasn't had the greatest luck with injuries and overall poor play, but the White Sox insisted on holding out until their star starts playing like one. The Phillies may have missed their opportunity, as Robert Jr. has been playing well for more than a month now — but they're probably okay with it.
Luis Robert Jr. was a trade deadline possibility, but Phillies will be happy they passed
Robert, since the July 30 trade deadline, is batting .317 with a .756 OPS, one home run, three RBIs and five stolen bases over 11 games. Since returning from the IL on July 8 he's batting .318 with an .861 OPS, four homers, 14 RBIs and nine steals.
On the year, Robert has a .220 batting average with 12 home runs, 46 RBIs and 31 stolen bases in 2025. The Phillies could have had a use for Robert Jr. to roam the Phillies' outfield with his impressive power and excellent center field defense.
Robert has been on teams' radars with the hope that the upside he's shown in the past proves worthy for ball clubs to give up top assets. According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Phillies had their time entertaining the idea of bringing the 27-year-old into the organization, but this sample size is minimal compared to the last few years he's played.
Since his All-Star season in 2023, he's been dreadful on the offensive side of the ball. He had an .857 OPS in 2023 but then dropped to a .657 in 2024 and a .656 this season. That's a massive red flag when it comes to trading for someone whose current owner refuses to accept anything other than top dollar for him.
Even asking top dollar for him, Robert still has two $20 million club options on his contract for 2026 and 2027, with two $2 million buyouts. That's an unreasonable amount of money to throw at someone and not be sure what to expect out of them for the next couple of seasons.
Robert was a catch when he first came into the league with his raw power and athletic ability, but now some of that lure has worn off. He's another year older with another down year and a ton of money dedicated to him over the next two seasons. He's been great since the trade deadline, but that won't make up for all the other issues that have been consistent for much longer.