It appears that if the Philadelphia Phillies are going to make impact moves this winter, they’ll be doing so via trade.
After essentially admitting that they were out of any major free-agent sweepstakes earlier this week, the Phillies got into the mix by trading for left-handed pitcher Jesús Luzardo on Sunday. That took care of one roster hole, and now there’s another to consider.
The Phillies’ outfield was their biggest weakness in 2024, and so far, they’ve made just one high-risk move to address it. By signing Max Kepler, who is coming off a brutal season, Philadelphia theoretically has enough bodies to field an outfield.
But if they really want to go for a home run play, the Phillies can dip back into the trade market and go after a slugger with All-Star credentials.
FanSided’s Zachary Rotman recently named Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox as a top trade target for the Phillies this winter. Robert is entering the final year of his $50 million extension with Chicago but has $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027.
“Robert is the kind of needle-mover who can help Philadelphia get over the hump,” Rotman said. “We know they’re good enough to get to the postseason, but breaking through in October is an even bigger challenge.”
“If they’re unwilling to spend big, they should be willing to trade one prospect for a player with Robert’s ceiling if they’re serious about winning right now.”
Robert had a rocky 2024 season, putting up a .657 OPS and just 14 home runs in 100 games. But he was an All-Star and Silver Slugger with 38 home runs in 2023, and one can forgive him for having a down year on the worst team in modern baseball history.
Moving to a contender in the Phillies could bring out the best in Robert. If they can get him for a reasonable prospect price, Philadelphia should be all over this move.
More MLB: Phillies acquire Jesús Luzardo from Marlins in blockbuster 3-player exchange
