3 reasons why Luis Robert Jr. trade actually makes sense for the Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates still need bats, and plenty of them. The team is reportedly casting a wide net in search of potential solutions to the club's offensive woes, and according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. is among the options Pittsburgh is considering.

There are certainly valid reasons to believe that this doesn't make sense for the Pirates. After a 2023 campaign that saw Robert earn his first career All-Star nod, earn AL MVP votes, and belt a career-best 38 home runs, he's posted identical 84 wRC+ figures in the two following seasons.

Robert also has an extensive injury history, enduring nine IL stints in his six MLB seasons, including two in 2025 due to left hamstring strains. He is also owed $20 million in 2026 with a $2 million buyout on another $20 million team option for 2027. That's a lot of money for a team like the Pirates to invest in a serious question mark.

But the Pirates are going to have to gamble and take some risks on players with upside in order to elevate their lineup. When Robert is on, he's among the game's most dynamic offensive players. Despite his flaws, there are some reasons why it might be worth the Pirates' while to take a chance on the 28-year-old Cuban outfielder.

3 reasons why Luis Robert might be a good fit for the Pirates

The White Sox will surely have to send cash to facilitate a trade.

Chicago, who has nothing to play for in 2026, picked up Robert's $20 million option after holding on to him through last year's trade deadline. This left the door open for the White Sox to field trade offers again this winter or, if nobody presents an enticing enough offer, hope he returns to form and get a haul in July.

The White Sox find themselves in somewhat of a bemusing position—they aren't particularly motivated to move him now coming off of two down years. But with no competitive ambitions in the near future, the team doesn't stand to gain much from holding on to him either, outside of the hope that he rebounds and rebuilds his trade value.

If Chicago decides to pull the trigger and move him now (which ESPN's Jeff Passan gave a 60% likelihood a couple of weeks ago), that would likely require eating a portion of Robert's contract. They may be best served to send significant cash to secure a better return (as the Cardinals did when they traded Sonny Gray to Boston). This would actually be pretty practical for the Pirates, who have playoff aspirations, a plethora of remaining needs, and a variety of prospect capital.

Robert looked like his old self in the second half.

While the overall numbers last season (.223/.297/.364, 26% K rate, 84 wRC+) were uninspiring, it was a tale of two halves for Robert, and if his second half is any indication of what he might look like going forward, trading for him now would represent a massive bargain.

The first half of the 2025 season was a drag for Robert, who had a .584 OPS and a 30.9% strikeout rate when he injured his left hamstring on June 25. That kept him on the shelf until the second week of July, and when he returned, he looked like a brand new hitter.

From that point on, he only appeared in 37 games before he re-injured the same hamstring, which ended his season early. But in those 37 games, he was one of the best outfielders in MLB. He slashed .293/.349/.459, cut the strikeout rate nearly in half at 16.1%, and flashed his lethal power-speed combination (prorated over 162 games, he played at a 26-homer, 48-steal pace).

Those skills are a big reason why Robert secured a then-record $50 million extension before ever appearing in an MLB game. If he can stay healthy and continue producing at those levels (those are two big ifs), he could wind up being a real difference-maker.

Robert is still an elite defensive outfielder.

It's been well established that PNC Park's outfield is one of the largest in the sport, with the North Side Notch in left-center creating a ton of extra ground that needs covered. While 37-year-old Tommy Pham held his own pretty well out there last year, that's not a reasonable expectation going forward.

In the past, the Pirates have benefitted from putting a true center fielder in PNC's spacious left field. Starling Marte played left when the team was competitive in the 2010s before moving to center field after Andrew McCutchen was traded. Bryan Reynolds was previously a plus defender in center and was moved to left before ultimately settling into right field.

Robert has exclusively played center field as a major leaguer, but the Pirates aren't going to move Oneil Cruz off of that position after only one year. Despite his bum hamstring, Robert still posted a sprint speed in the 90th percentile and was in the 93rd percentile in outs above average. While he hasn't won a Gold Glove since his rookie season, he's still plenty capable with the glove, and putting him in left field would go a long way towards making sure the Pirates' elite young pitching staff has a strong defense behind it.