Luis Robert Jr. and 10 Buy-Low MLB Trade Targets
The MLB trade deadline is not just about high-profile stars finding a new home for the stretch run, though that is inevitably what dominates the headlines.
Finding value in buy-low trade targets can be just as impactful for a contending team, particularly since it often comes at a fraction of the cost as far as the prospects it takes to facilitate a deal.
The Los Angeles Dodgers bought low on Tommy Edman last summer from the St. Louis Cardinals even though he had been sidelined for the entire season to date. He ended up winning NLCS MVP honors and earned himself a five-year, $74 million extension in November.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Baltimore Orioles took a flier on slugger Eloy Jiménez in a buy-low deal with the Chicago White Sox, only to watch him post a 70 OPS+ and minus-0.2 WAR in 33 games.
We've highlighted 10 potential trade targets who fit the buy-low profile on this summer's trade market, including White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr., who is not far removed from being one of the most dynamic talents in the sport.
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OF Adolis García, Texas Rangers
1 of 10
Stats: 326 PA, 92 OPS+, .232/.276/.393, 28 XBH (10 HR), 49 RBI
WAR: 1.6
Remaining Control: Arbitration-eligible through 2026
Adolis García is a late-bloomer who did not become an everyday player in the big leagues until his age-28 season in 2021. However, he quickly emerged as a middle-of-the-order slugger for the Texas Rangers.
Over his first three full seasons in the majors, he posted a 113 OPS+ while averaging 30 doubles, 32 home runs, 99 RBI and 4.0 WAR, earning All-Star selections in 2021 and 2023. He also took home 2023 ALCS MVP honors while helping lead the Rangers to a World Series title.
He took a step backward last season with a 96 OPS+ and 0.3 WAR in 154 games, though he still tallied 25 home runs and 85 RBI. Things have continued to trend in the wrong direction this year.
Despite the middling production, he still ranks among the MLB leaders in average exit velocity (93.4 mph, 94th percentile). Perhaps a change of scenery could jump-start his season.
RP Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta Braves
2 of 10
Stats: 30.2 IP, 9/13 SV, 5.28 ERA (4.68 FIP), 1.37 WHIP, 9.7 K/9
WAR: -0.5
Remaining Control: Free agent after 2025 season
Raisel Iglesias was one of the best relievers in baseball in 2024, converting 34 of 38 save chances with a 1.95 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 2.9 WAR over 66 appearances in his third season with the Atlanta Braves.
His 233 career saves rank fifth among active pitchers and inside the top 50 on the all-time list, making him arguably the best reliever in MLB history never to earn an All-Star selection.
That All-Star nod won't be coming this year, as he has struggled to the point of losing his hold on the ninth-inning job in favor of more of a committee approach. However, his track record still makes him an appealing buy-low candidate.
The 35-year-old is still generating a strong 36.5 percent whiff rate with his signature changeup and is averaging 94.5 mph with his fastball. The stuff is there for him to be a useful bullpen addition to a contender.
SP/RP Janson Junk, Miami Marlins
3 of 10
Stats: 37.1 IP, 3.62 ERA (1.83 FIP), 1.13 WHIP, 2 BB, 33 K
WAR: 0.5
Remaining Control: Arbitration-eligible through 2030
A 22nd-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2017, Janson Junk has been a part of two trades and two waiver claims in his career while seeing sporadic MLB action in each of the past five seasons.
The 29-year-old entered the 2025 campaign with a 6.75 ERA over 40 career innings with the Angels, Brewers and Athletics. He joined the Marlins on a minor league deal in February.
After opening the season at Triple-A, Junk was added to the MLB roster on May 24. He has been quietly excellent with a 1.83 FIP and a 33-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio filling a swingman role on the staff.
With his remaining club control and promising metrics, Junk could be a nice under-the-radar target for contenders hunting low-cost bullpen help, or a potential add-on in a larger Sandy Alcántara deal.
RP Andrew Kittredge, Baltimore Orioles
4 of 10
Stats: 18.0 IP, 4.50 ERA (3.42 FIP), 1.39 WHIP, 6 BB, 19 K
WAR: 0.0
Remaining Control: $9 million team option for 2026
An All-Star in 2021 and one of the few bright spots on the St. Louis Cardinals staff last season outside of Ryan Helsley, right-hander Andrew Kittredge inked a one-year, $9 million deal with the Orioles during the offseason.
That payday came after he posted a 2.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 8.5 K/9 with 37 holds in 74 appearances with the Cardinals in 2024, but he hasn't found the same success this year suiting up for a disappointing O's squad.
Arthroscopic knee surgery in March kept Kittredge sidelined for the first 47 games of the season. Due to his limited sample size, one particularly rough outing against the Tampa Bay Rays (1.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER) on June 18 has inflated his overall numbers.
It might take paying down some of his remaining salary to facilitate a deal, but Kittredge can still be a useful arm for a playoff hopeful.
SP Michael Lorenzen, Kansas City Royals
5 of 10
Stats: 92.2 IP, 4.95 ERA (4.76 FIP), 1.37 WHIP, 28 BB, 78 K
WAR: 0.0
Remaining Control: $12 million mutual option for 2026
Veteran Michael Lorenzen is no stranger to being dealt midseason, as he was on the move ahead of the 2023 and 2024 trade deadlines.
He went from the Texas Rangers to the Kansas City Royals last summer, and he impressed down the stretch with a 1.57 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 28.2 innings of work to earn a new one-year, $7 million deal from the Royals in free agency.
Unfortunately, after a surprise playoff appearance last season, Kansas City's young squad has taken a step backward this year and could be in a position to sell off some short-term veteran pieces at the deadline.
Lorenzen's numbers this season don't jump off the screen, but he has been thrust into a playoff push before. He is capable of handling a variety of roles, from filling a spot in the rotation to multi-inning relief work to getting outs at the end of a game.
1B Nathaniel Lowe, Washington Nationals
6 of 10
Stats: 359 PA, 98 OPS+, .233/.298/.402, 28 XBH (13 HR), 58 RBI
WAR: 0.3
Remaining Control: Arbitration-eligible through 2026
It's worth highlighting the significant first-half vs. second-half splits for Nathaniel Lowe over the course of his big league career to better illustrate his potential buy-low appeal:
1st Half: 1,845 PA, .258 BA, .407 SLG, .744 OPS
2nd Half: 1,259 PA, .284 BA, .463 SLG, .832 OPS
Lowe's $10.3 million salary this season is not completely unreasonable, though it was the driving force behind the Rangers trading him during the offseason, and he does come with one additional year of arbitration eligibility.
With a Silver Slugger (2022) and Gold Glove (2023) on his resume and a strong track record as a second-half performer, Lowe could be a nice addition to a contender's lineup at a relatively low acquisition cost.
3B Ryan McMahon, Colorado Rockies
7 of 10
Stats: 337 PA, 89 OPS+, .216/.318/.387, 25 XBH (12 HR), 25 RBI
WAR: 1.3
Remaining Control: Two years, $32 million remaining on contract
Ryan McMahon looked like a valuable potential trade chip at this time last year, as he was on his way to his first career All-Star selection while hitting .272/.350/.447 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI.
The also-ran Rockies instead opted against fielding offers for him at the deadline, then watched his value crater as he hit .188/.283/.309 over 237 plate appearances during the second half of the season.
With two years remaining on his six-year, $70 million deal, McMahon remains a logical trade candidate for the Rockies, though there's rarely any logic in play when it comes to the Colorado front office.
McMahon's surface-level numbers don't look great, but he is posting career-best marks in hard-hit rate (49.7%, 86th percentile), average exit velocity (93.8 mph, 96th percentile) and expected slugging (.452, 57th percentile), giving him the highest ceiling of any player on this list.
3B Yoán Moncada, Los Angeles Angels
8 of 10
Stats: 113 PA, 132 OPS+, .237/.336/.505, 13 XBH (6 HR), 19 RBI
WAR: 0.6
Remaining Control: Free agent after 2025 season
Yoán Moncada was a popular addition to any list of buy-low free-agency targets during the offseason. He ultimately joined the Angels on a one-year, $5 million deal to compete for the starting third base job.
He was one of baseball's most hyped prospects during his time in Boston and was a 5.1-WAR player at his peak with the White Sox. However, injuries limited him to only 208 games in the three years prior to the 2025 campaign.
He has been slowed again this year by a knee injury that has kept him sidelined since early June, but he recently started a rehab assignment and was producing at the plate prior to the injury.
It would be unwise to count on Moncada to fill an everyday role, but he could provide some nice value as a bargain pickup for teams looking to add another option at the hot corner.
SP Chris Paddack, Minnesota Twins
9 of 10
Stats: 90.0 IP, 4.70 ERA (4.47 FIP), 1.23 WHIP, 24 BB, 63 K
WAR: 0.7
Remaining Control: Free agent after 2025 season
After pitching only 27.1 total innings during his first two seasons with the Twins, right-hander Chris Paddack made 17 starts last season and posted a 4.99 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 79 strikeouts in 88.1 innings.
The 29-year-old is playing out the final season of a three-year, $12.5 million deal this year, and while he has been inconsistent, he has also twirled some gems along the way:
May 9 (vs. SF): 7.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
May 15 (@ BAL): 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
June 1 (@ SEA): 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
That intriguing upside, coupled with a 4.47 FIP that suggests there is some modest positive regression to come, could be enough for a pitching-needy contender to take a chance on him.
OF Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox
10 of 10
Stats: 285 PA, 64 OPS+, .185/.270/.313, 16 XBH (8 HR), 32 RBI
WAR: -0.1
Remaining Control: $20 million team option for 2026 and 2027
There isn't much reason for optimism that Luis Robert Jr. will suddenly snap out of his slump if he gets traded to a contender this summer.
He ranks near the bottom of MLB in expected batting average (.232, 16th percentile), chase rate (32.7%, 19th percentile), whiff rate (32.4%, 7th percentile) and strikeout rate (30.9%, 4th percentile).
He is also currently on the injured list after suffering a hamstring strain last week, so he will need to prove he is healthy before a contender even considers rolling the dice on a potential trade.
However, we are still not far removed from a 2023 season where Robert racked up 38 home runs, 20 steals and 5.3 WAR in 145 games. At his peak, he was one of the most dynamic all-around players in baseball.
If the White Sox eat a significant portion of what's left of his $15 million salary this year, which they may be willing to do, he could be the ultimate buy-low pickup.
