Padres Urged to Acquire $50 Million All-Star in Blockbuster Trade Deadline Move

The San Diego Padres are off to a hot start this season, establishing themselves as a serious threat in the National League.

The Padres have had quite a few bright spots this season through electric offense and having the lowest amount of strikeouts in baseball, but there is still a major hole on defense that must be filled: Left field.

The latest trade target that ESPN's Jeff Passan has linked the Friars to is Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr.

Robert would presumably slide to left if a deal is struck, but has proved himself as someone that can be an above-average fielder in MLB. He is ranked in the 66th percentile with a positive Outs Above Average ranking of 1 and ranks in the 86th percentile of sprint speed around MLB as he also has the most stolen bases in baseball this year with 21.

Offensively, Robert is having a down season. He is two years removed from an All-Star nod, but is currently batting .177 through 55 appearances in Chicago.

If the Friars are able to get the 27-year-old back to his All-Star-level offense, he would be an incredible addition to the team, for the right price.

So far in left field, Jason Heyward has been playing a majority of innings, totaling 189.2 innings in left this season. The veteran is also struggling on offense as he is batting .176 on the year through 34 Padres appearances.

Another option that proved futile for San Diego was starting designated hitter Gavin Sheets in left field. He expressed an interest in learning the new position, but after a bad collision with the outfield wall Sunday that injured four different parts of his body, the assumption is that Sheets will lessen his time in the outfield.

A potential drawback to Robert, other than his offense, is his price tag.

The current White Sox All-Star's salary is $15 million, with two years of a $20 million club option left on his deal. If a trade presents itself that would move the needle for the Padres, the cost may end up being worth it to fill the void in the outfield.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.