The Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox are no strangers to trading with each other.
Eight years after the massive deal that sent Chris Sale to Boston, the Red Sox pulled off a similar deal for fellow lefty Garrett Crochet. Less than two weeks later, the Red Sox and White Sox paired up on a minor trade that sent Cam Booser to Chicago.
Could the two sides come together one more time to pull off one more blockbuster?
After the Red Sox missed out on Teoscar Hernández, who re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a three-year deal, they still have an unbalanced lineup featuring a distinct lack of right-handed power. And the White Sox have a right-handed outfielder who nearly hit 40 home runs just a year ago.
In the wake of Hernández’s Dodgers contract, Christopher Kline of FanSided urged the Red Sox to pursue a trade for White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. to fill the righty void in their lineup.
“At just 27 years old, Robert is still, theoretically, on the upswing. If he can get healthy and get back into a rhythm, the Red Sox could have their cleanup man of the future,” Kline said.
“His contract includes affordable $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027, so Boston can plan on three full years of Robert’s contributions.”
Though Robert’s 2024 season was rough (and shortened by injury), it’s reasonable to give him a mulligan since the team around him was an outright disaster. In 2023, he hit 38 home runs, compiled an .857 OPS, and won a Silver Slugger Award.
Robert had initially signed a six-year, $50 million extension with the Chicago White Sox that expires this season, so the Red Sox would only be on the hook for $15 million, keeping them under the luxury tax threshold with room to spare. And the club options provide them with tons of flexibility.
The Red Sox may not want to do a deal like this simply because their outfield is already fairly crowded. But the fact remains that they need righties, so if it’s not going to be Alex Bregman, Robert does make some sense.
