Reds’ refusal to cave at trade deadline suddenly looks like a stroke of genius

Having been swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers while being outscored 18-4, it's going to be difficult for the Cincinnati Reds fanbase to give Nick Krall and the front office much praise this week. But after seeing Luis Robert Jr. land on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, Krall and Co. deserve a modicum of credit for avoiding a trade for the Chicago White Sox outfielder at the July 31 deadline.

The rumors linking the Reds and Robert go all the way back to the offseason. Coming off a 41-win season in 2024, the White Sox were trying to trade one of their best assets, and Cincinnati was rumored to be one of the primary landing spots.

The Reds had an obvious void in the outfield, but after signing Austin Hays to a one-year deal, the trade chatter cooled down. The scuttlebutt picked up steam once again when the MLB trade deadline came around at the end of last month, but Chicago's price tag was said to be quite high for an injury-prone player who was in the midst of a down-year.

Reds’ refusal to deal for White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. at trade deadline suddenly looks like a stroke of genius

Robert put together an All-Star campaign back in 2023, but his numbers in 2024 were nowhere close to an encore performance. The reigning Silver Slugger hit just .224/.278/.379 last season after posting a .264/.315/.542 slash line the year prior.

The reported talks between the Reds and White Sox centered around top prospect Edwin Arroyo. In addition, however, Chicago wanted another of Cincinnati's top-5 prospects in order to seal the deal. That, combined with Robert's injury history, was enough for the Reds to seek other options.

In the end, the Reds walked away from the July 31 deadline with Zack Littell, Miguel Andujar, and Ke'Bryan Hayes. While some of folks throughout Reds Country wanted the club to go all-in at the trade deadline, those same fans are surely happy that Cincinnati's leadership decided to pass on Robert.

Chicago was trying feverishly to deal Robert at this year's deadline, but still maintained a high price tag. Several teams, including the New York Mets, inquired about Robert's availability, but the White Sox's insistence that the outfielder's talent warranted a haul of top prospects turned all would-be suitors away and he remained on the South Side.

If the White Sox do not pick up Robert's $20 million team-option this offseason, the 28-year-old will soon become a free agent.

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