Mets Reportedly 'The Frontrunner' for Luis Robert Jr. amid MLB Trade Rumors

A recent hot streak for Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has put him back on the radar for a number of contending teams leading up to the trade deadline on Thursday.

Per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the New York Mets are among "several teams" keeing an eye on Robert.

Feinsand later added that the Mets "have been one of the more aggressive teams in their pursuit of Robert, with one source taking it to another level by calling New York 'the frontrunner.'"

Additionally, the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres are among the teams interested in the outfielder, according to Feinsand.

Robert's performance since the start of the 2024 season seemed to sink much of his trade value. He owns a .216/.284/.366 slash line in 186 games over the past two seasons.

Since Robert is the last major trade chip the White Sox have left on the roster after previously dealing away Dylan Cease and Garrett Crochet, they were likely hoping to get a good return.

Instead, the White Sox seemed like they might be stuck in a position where they could have to decide between letting him test free agency this offseason or pick up his $20 million team option for 2026 with the hope he can rebuild his value next season.

Robert might be putting himself in a spot where the White Sox could get decent value back in return. He is hitting .267/.353/.500 with six homers and five stolen bases in 28 games since June 10.

However, ESPN's Buster Olney noted over the weekend that Robert was "unlikely" to be traded.

Even a diminished version of Robert would be a huge help for a team like the Mets. Their centerfielders are hitting a collective .216/.286/.322 with four homers in 402 plate appearances.

Per FanGraphs, the Mets are tied with the Detroit Tigers for the 11th-worst WAR from the centerfield position in MLB (0.8).

The Mets are riding a recent hot streak with nine wins in their last 13 games to move into first place in the NL East. They hold a 1.5 game lead over the Phillies in the division, with seven head-to-head meetings remaining between the division rivals before the end of the season.