The trade deadline had passed last season and Luis Robert Jr. was making the Mets wish they’d finished off a deal they’d talked about for the Chicago White Sox center fielder, tearing it up at the plate for a month. But then he strained his left hamstring in late August, finishing him for the season.
Call it the Luis Robert conundrum.
"He was really swinging the bat well again last July and August," one scout told me Tuesday night, after the Mets traded for Robert, "making you think, 'OK, he’s going to be that star center fielder we all thought he’d be.' And then, boom, he’s hurt again and you have no idea what to make of him long-term."
Yes, because of injuries and inconsistency at the plate, Robert had disappointing seasons in 2024 and 2025, leaving everyone in baseball wondering if he’ll ever reach the star-like potential he flashed at times during his six seasons in Chicago, hitting 38 home runs as recently as 2023.
David Stearns clearly believes he will, perhaps in part because he’s still only 28, with age always seeming to be a major factor in every move he makes.
In any case, the Mets’ president of baseball ops engaged the White Sox regarding Robert at the trade deadline last summer before deeming the asking price too high and instead dealing for Cedric Mullins, which turned out to be a mistake.
This time the asking price apparently was more reasonable, as Stearns gave up Luisangel Acuña, who was expendable due to the Mets’ glut of infielders, and low-minors pitcher Truman Pauley.
The White Sox probably had little leverage because the Mets might be the only team in baseball willing to gamble $22 million on Robert — $20 million in salary the Sox owed him next season and a $2 million buyout if they choose not to pick up another $20 million club option for 2027.
That’s where Steve Cohen’s financial muscle pays off. He’s willing to bet the $22 million that Robert will rediscover the form that made him a rising star earlier in his career.
At worst, Robert gives the Mets excellent defense in center field as well as important development time for Carson Benge at Triple-A before he possibly fulfills the Mets’ belief that he’s a star-in-the-making.
At best, meanwhile, Robert rediscovers his offensive form and becomes a force in the lineup as well as a premium center fielder.
In that sense it’s worth the gamble, especially because the Mets have the depth in prospect capital to make such a deal without really feeling any pain. Barring injuries, Acuña had little chance of playing in the big leagues in 2026, with Marcus Semien at second base, Bo Bichette at third, Brett Baty looming as the likely utility infielder, and top prospect Jett Williams on the doorstep as a middle infielder as well.
In addition, the Mets still have the chips to trade for a quality starting pitcher, most likely the Milwaukee Brewers’ Freddy Peralta, if they go that route rather than signing Framber Valdez.
So we’ll see. There is great intrigue regarding Robert, in part simply because of his tools, and in part because of a belief among many in baseball that he’ll benefit from moving out of a losing culture in Chicago to a high-energy environment with the types of star players the Mets have.
As for the tools, noted stats expert Sarah Langs tweeted that last season only three players ranked in the 90th percentile or better of MLB players in both sprint speed and bat speed: Robert, Oneil Cruz, and Julio Rodriguez.
"Oh, he looks the part," was the way the scout put it. "He’ll have some days where he looks like one of the best players in baseball. But he’s got a lot of holes in his swing, and he chases too much, so there are days when he looks overmatched."
Indeed, the last two seasons Robert has ranked as a below-average major league hitter, with OPS+ numbers of 86 and 85, respectively.
Yet he also had that season in 2023 where he had a whopping 75 extra-base hits and a .542 slugging percentage.
Then there was that period last year in July and August over 31 games when Robert slashed .298/.352/.456 with five home runs, 18 RBI, 24 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.
"It was as good as he had looked over any sustained period of time since ’23," the scout said. "He seemed to have a lot of confidence. And then he got hurt again. So who knows what you’ll get next season. But I like what the Mets are doing because it’s a relatively low-risk move.
"If he doesn’t hit or he gets hurt again, they just decline the option for ’27 and move on."
With Robert in center, the Mets could still use a left fielder to replace Brandon Nimmo. If they sign Cody Bellinger their offseason suddenly turns into a home run, presuming they add at least one quality starter. That doesn’t seem likely now, after guaranteeing Bichette and Robert $64 million for next season, but maybe Cohen is in spend mode again.
Most importantly, the Mets still need a front-of-the-rotation pitcher. But in the last few days they’ve made moves to dramatically change the feel of the offseason, making it clear that Stearns and Cohen will spend big to get impact players.
Bichette was a slam dunk, at least in terms of who he is offensively. Robert is quite the opposite, but a chance they can afford to take.
For the Denver Broncos, irrepressible optimism was replaced by exorbitant doubt in a matter of moments.
