It feels like we've been here before. The Major League Baseball trade deadline is looming right around the corner, and with one month to go, the Philadelphia Phillies have once again been linked to former All-Star outfielder Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox.
Hopefully, the latest injury news about Robert Jr. puts any trade deadline speculation about the oft-injured and underperforming center fielder to rest for good. The White Sox placed the 27-year-old on the 10-day injured list over the weekend with a left hamstring strain.
Phillies rumored to be keeping tabs on Luis Robert Jr. before this latest injury
It was reported recently by USA Today's Bob Nightengale last week that with Robert expected to move at the July 31 deadline (barring injury) the Phillies front office had been "keeping close tabs on him."
Similar to last season, when ESPN's Jeff Passan connected the Phillies to Robert, they could certainly use some extra pop in the outfield. But the idea of trading for Robert is a questionable move at best.
The 27-year-old's power-speed combination is undeniable, but he has struggled to stay healthy for much of his six-year MLB career. Plus, he hasn't really performed on the field since his 2023 All-Star campaign that saw him win a Silver Slugger and garner AL MVP votes.
In a combined 173 games from the beginning of the 2024 season (100 last year, 73 this year), Robert is batting .209 with a .629 OPS, 22 home runs, 67 RBIs and 45 stolen bases. And those numbers are still flattering for him. This year, he's hitting just .185 with a .584 OPS and eight homers, while striking out at an insanely high 30.9 percent clip. There's no doubt he's a top defender, but that shouldn't be enough for the Phillies to trade valuable prospects.
Luis Robert's injury history should be enough to keep Phillies away at trade deadline
According to MLB.com's Scott Merkin, the White Sox think it will be a quick trip to the IL for Robert, but this latest injury serves a good reminder of his checkered injury past.
His player transaction sheet is one trip to the IL after another. After playing a full rookie season during the shortened 2020 year, he managed only 68 games in 2021 and 98 games in 2022. He hit the 10-day IL once in his breakout 2023 season, but still played 145 games. Then, as we covered, he got in 100 contests last year before staying healthy this season until recently.
Over the years, Robert has suffered from a torn flexor tendon in his right hip (2021), a sprained left wrist (2022), an MCL sprain in his left knee (at the very end of the 2023 season), and a strained right hip flexor (2024), not to mention multiple day-to-day groin, knee and leg issues.
While Robert would be an affordable option (earning $8.33 million) and with club options for 2026 and 2027, the last thing the Phillies need is another underperforming outfielder with health risks. After suffering through the Whit Merrifield and Austin Hays experiments in 2024, if the Phillies front office is indeed going to address the lineup in any way this summer, they had better be sure to bring in a proven performer who will stay on the field and actually help this team get to the World Series again.