Post‑MLB trade deadline, the dust has settled—but interest in White Sox centerfielder has become a center of discussion. There are rumors that Chicago tried to get Luis Robert Jr. into trade talks with the Phillies, but the Phillies said no, thank you!

In 2023, Luis Robert Jr. had a remarkable season, hitting 38 home runs and stealing 20 bases, winning the Silver Slugger Award. And before that, in 2020, he had won the AL Gold Glove. Then, why did the Phillies say no so clearly?

The MLB insider Bob Nightengale on Foul Territory stated why. Talking in the aftermath of the trade deadline, Nightengale explained. “They (White Sox) were begging the Philadelphia Phillies to trade him, and the Phillies had no interest, I mean everybody see the same thing, the guy rarely plays, I don’t care how much talent you have.”

Well, it’s true. Luis Robert Jr.’s injury history is the reason why organizations overlook him, despite his skill.

After a start marred by slumps and nagging ailments, this season, Robert was sidelined in late June with a left hamstring strain, which landed him on the 10-day IL. As of late July, he posted a .213 batting average with 11 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases across 88 games, alongside a .300 on-base percentage and .353 slugging percentage. So, it makes complete sense why the Phillies weren’t too keen on him.

And, the White Sox? Well, while they were looking to trade Robert, they were not ready to settle for less value. GM Chris Getz told reporters there was “an effort to acquire him, but certainly it wasn’t to the level we felt like could have met the mark for us to make a move on from a talent like Luis Robert.”

Robert signed a six-year, $50 million agreement in January 2020, with club options for 2026 and 2027, each with a $20 million price tag and a $2 million buyout. MLB insider Mark Feinsand shed light on it, stating, “Although the White Sox have spoken with a number of teams about Luis Robert Jr., sources say it’s more likely he stays with Chicago through the Trade Deadline. The White Sox would likely pick up his $20M option for 2026 and hope for more of what they’ve seen over the past month.”

Robert’s 2023 spark can still be seen in patches, and the White Sox are counting on option control to help him recover traction in the next two months. If he does, the Phillies may regret denying him.

Meanwhile, the White Sox may not have traded Robert, but the front office wasn’t sitting idle. They made another substantial deal.

Chicago keeps Robert and lands three young players

Chicago sent Adrian Houser to the Rays in a neat transaction before the deadline. The return was three young players, all under 26, including an infielder and two pitchers. Getz said the move was “pretty remarkable work overall” because Houser only made 12 starts for the major league team.

Curtis Mead is part of the haul and is now on the 40-man roster. The 24-year-old Australian has hit 290/.369/.497 with 29 home runs at Triple-A. The other two acquisitions were of pitchers. Duncan Davitt (3.55 ERA, 1.07 WHIP in Double-A) and Ben Peoples (2.65 ERA out of the Charlotte bullpen) are both right-handed pitchers and may be a part of the rotation or relief depth.

The Houser trade provides Chicago with some breathing space. Instead of trading Luis Robert Jr. for a bad return, they strengthened the system and kept their options open. And Getz is delighted with the deal. Like he said, “To be able to get three players for a pitcher we’ve only had for 12 starts, we feel we really good about it and excited to inject this type of talent into our system.”

The results in the coming week will determine if it was a good decision or not. What do you think?