The New York Mets still have a lot of questions in center field as the trade deadline draws near. I don’t mean to offend Tyrone Taylor, who the Mets acquired in a trade two offseasons ago. However, at the moment, New York lacks a center fielder of starting caliber who can influence the game on both sides of the ball. The Mets seem to be a good fit for the top player on the list of center fielders who are available for trade. However, it’s undoubtedly a dangerous notion. Luis Robert Jr., the center fielder for the Chicago White Sox, has had two poor seasons in a succession, detracting from his outstanding 2023 All-Star campaign.
However, the White Sox are likely to deal him without demanding a significant return because he is nearing the end of a $50 million, six-year extension. Jay Staph and Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball estimated on Sunday that outfielder Drew Gilbert would be the return player going to Chicago in the trade, and that the Mets would get Robert by Thursday’s deadline. In the worst situation, they can platoon (Robert) with (Jeff) McNeil in center field, so he’s a good flier to pick. In the best scenario, you get something more akin to what we witnessed in 2023, and Robert ends up making a significant impact in the closing moments,” Finkelstein and Staph wrote.
“The Mets can send a prospect the White Sox way, and still one that is close enough to the big leagues that Chicago can get excited.” Before missing a few games recently due to adductor soreness, 27-year-old Robert was swinging a hot bat. At least the Mets would know he’s healthy because he was back in the lineup on Sunday. As USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently reported that the White Sox were holding fast on their ask for third baseman Mark Vientos in a possible Robert deal, the real question is whether or not Gilbert would be accepted as the return.
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