Hypothetical deals continue to be thrown around, even though the centerpiece isn’t hitting well enough to be traded
Well, it was fun while it lasted. Spring Training Luis Robert Jr. is officially gone, and mid-season, struggling Robert is back on the team.
The difference between Spring Training Robert and early-season Robert is dramatic. This spring, Robert looked unstoppable: .300/.386/.580 with four home runs and eight RBIs. Granted, his Cactus League play consisted of 18 games and 50 at-bats, but nonetheless, Robert showed promise that he’d be better this year.
But Robert hasn’t looked swell in his first week. Heading into Saturday, in 25 ab-bats he’s hitting .160 with a .414 OPS. He only has one walk and two RBIs.
Despite Robert’s sudden drop-off in production, there are still discussions of him being traded. Jackson Roberts of the Sporting News suggested that Robert would make a great addition to the Phillies’ outfield if he can loosely resemble his 2023 form before the trade deadline. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller at Bleacher Report predicted that the Royals would land Robert, who would be an upgrade over Hunter Renfroe.
Out of these prospective teams, the Phillies would be more likely to acquire Robert before August. Though they’ve lost a decent amount of prospect depth in the last few years, they have four MLB Top 100 prospects in their farm system and have a much higher tolerance for absorbing Robert’s prorated $15 million contract this year. Philadelphia is also under far more pressure to win the World Series this year after three disappointing years of falling short. Additionally, the Phillies would also be much more eager than the Royals to exercise either or both of Robert’s $20 million club options (2026-27) before he hits free agency.
Robert’s unexpected hitting troubles throw a wrench in any potential trades. Although the Sox won’t want to pay him his full $15 million this year, they might not have a choice if his trade value plummets.
Given his hitting tanked practically overnight, premature Robert trade speculation won’t do anything but get people’s hopes up. It makes no sense to put the cart before the horse, and even less sense when it’s not even a month into the season. Waiting until June, or when Robert is hitting better than .250 (if not both) is the time to start entertaining Robert trade packages that will bring a worthwhile return.