Should Pirates make scout's suggested trade for White Sox star Luis Robert Jr.?

With the trade deadline nearing, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported a mock trade for Luis Robert Jr. that came from a National League scout. Although it is unlikely that the Pirates will make a strong effort to be on Robert's radar, it is still interesting to see what it may take to acquire for Pittsburgh to acquire a game-changing impact bat in the current market.

Robert is an All-Star center fielder with a five-tool profile. He can do it all, which makes him very valuable on the trade market this season (as well as valuable to the White Sox, even while they're mired in muck). The issue for him has been staying healthy, which has only allowed him to play one full season in his career of five years. 2023 was his only full season and he was incredible, posting an fWAR of 4.9, 38 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and an .857 OPS.

This season, Robert has gotten to a slower start after returning from an injury. Through 25 games, Robert has a batting average of .198 with seven home runs and 11 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .768, which includes an on-base percentage of .284 and a slugging percentage of .484. His wRC+ is above league average at 109, but his strikeout percentage is very high at 35.3%. Definitely not his best start, but he is still a top center fielder in the game, despite the slow start.

NL Scout believes it will take three top 30 prospects from the Pirates to acquire Luis Robert Jr.

The White Sox reportedly want a Juan Soto-level package in return for Robert, but by the time the deadline comes around, that price will drop. A National League scout believes that the Pirates could get Robert for a price cheaper than the anticipated return, starting with the team's second-ranked prospect.

The first player in this deal would be Termarr Johnson, the Pirates' second overall prospect. He has an excellent hit tool, but his production has not been great this season. He has been heating up at the plate, but his season numbers overall do not look great. On the year, Johnson has a .222 batting average with seven home runs and 28 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .755, which includes an on-base percentage of .384 and a slugging percentage of .371. His wRC+ is at 121, and his walk percentage is impressive at 18%.

The second player in this proposed deal is the Pirates' 11th-ranked prospect, Lonnie White Jr. He is an outfielder who has battled injuries in his entire minor-league career. He has struggled this year when healthy, but has mostly been on the injured list this season. Through 50 games, White has a .187 batting average with 10 home runs and 28 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .687, which includes an on-base percentage of .292 and a slugging percentage of .396. His wRC+ is low at 93, and his strikeout percentage is high at 31.5%.

The last player in this deal is Hunter Barco, the Pirates' 13th-ranked prospect. Barco came to the Pirates during his recovery from Tommy John surgery, but is back completely and is having a solid year. The left hander has a 2-1 record with an earned run average of 3.46 in 52 innings pitched, and has struck out 63 batters. Opponents are batting .219 against Barco, and he has a WHIP of 1.21.

This is obviously a big package, but it is for a big-time player. Luis Robert Jr. is a risky player to target with his injury history, but when healthy, he is one of the best players in the game. There have not been any tangible connections between the Pirates and Robert thus far, but if the fire starts to percolate, this is the type of package a National League scout believes could get a deal done.

Would you do it?