White Sox asking price for Luis Robert Jr. makes him a real target for the Reds

The ongoing saga between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox will continue until Luis Robert Jr. is traded. Whether Robert lands in Cincinnati is anyone's guess, but based on Chicago's asking price, there's no reason the Reds and White Sox couldn't make a deal work.

Robert's health and production have greatly affected his trade value. According to The Athletic (subscription required), when evaluating the New York Mets' chances of landing Robert, sources suggest it could involve multiple prospects in the back end of the club’s top 20.

Prior to the season, Baseball America tabbed the Mets' farm system as the 12th best among all 30 teams. The Reds were two notches higher at No. 10. Not all farm systems are created equally, but that would seem to suggest that the Reds could also fork over a couple of prospects near the back end of the top 20 in order to acquire Robert at the MLB trade deadline.

White Sox asking price for Luis Robert Jr. makes him a real target for the Reds

For the Reds, that might mean sacrificing a young pitcher like Zach Maxwell or Cole Schoenwetter. If the White Sox are targeting position players, Leo Balcazar, Ricky Cabrera, or Carlos Jorge might be the asking price for Robert's services.

Regardless of who those young prospects might be, the point is that Cincinnati can afford to make that deal if they feel that Robert could help them down the stretch. The Reds have constantly been searching for a right-handed hitting outfielder who can play above-average defense and Robert certainly fits that mold.

His performance this season has been underwhelming to say the least. The soon-to-be 28-year-old is hitting just .206/.292/.344 on the season, but is currently riding a 10-game on-base streak while hitting .364 with a 1.023 OPS and two home runs in the month of July. Since the All-Star break, Robert is 7-for-14 (.500) with five RBI and a 1.303 OPS.

Furthermore, Robert's contract comes with team-options for both 2026 and 2027. While he can be viewed as a rental, the Reds would also retain the ability to bring him back next season if they were pleased with his production.

If a trade package of Schoenwetter and Cabrera could actually get a deal for Robert across the finish line, the Reds have absolutely no excuse. A change of scenery might be all that's needed to reenergize Robert and help him regain his All-Star form over the final two months of the 2025 season.

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