Aug 13, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) walks back to the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Yankees Must Be Careful When Considering White Sox Trade

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 11:00 AM ET

At 28-years-old, Luis Robert Jr. could be a trade the New York Yankees decide to explore.

The Chicago White Sox outfielder has played exclusively in center field throughout his six-year big league career. He's come in as a DH from time to time, but it's not like the Yankees would trade for him for anything other than his skills in the outfield.

Most noteworthy though is the White Sox picking up their $20 million option to keep him on the team. That said, they're still exploring potential trades.

Robert Jr. played in 110 games last year and matched the 1.4 WAR he put up in 100 games the year prior. His .661 OPS was up slightly from 2024, but that isn't exactly a number worth warrenting $20M.

Yankees Must Be Careful With Robert Jr. Trade

The Yankees and Cody Bellinger continue to exchange dialogue but the disagreement remains to be over the length of the deal.

Yankees are exploring alternatives, those names include White Sox OF Luis Robert Jr. & Cubs INF Nico Hoerner. pic.twitter.com/DQOm9KuNys
— Everything Yankees (@eyyankees) January 12, 2026

If the Yankees were to trade for a guy like Freddy Peralta, the fanbase would be able to forget what all went wrong this offseason. Letting Cody Bellinger walk and then trading for Luis Robert Jr. feels like a slap in the face though, no offense to Robert Jr.

In 2021, the center fielder slashed .338/.378/.567 with an OPS of .946. Those numbers are far better than what he's put up in recent years, though it's worth noting that only came with a 68 game sample size.

In 2023, Robert Jr. had his best WAR to date at 5.1. That's by far the highest of his career, and it's still 2.3 points higher than his last two seasons combined. If the Yankees would be bringing in that player, it'd certainly be a trade worth exploring.

There Far Better Options On The Table

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Even if it is a reunion with Harrison Bader, Robert Jr. doesn't seem like a great fit on this Yankees squad. Depending on what they'd have to trade to get him, it's just not something that makes sense at this point in time.

While Cody Bellinger likely isn't returning, that doesn't mean a last-minute deal can't be reached. The Yankees seem firm on their number, but if they go their separate ways with Beli, why not bring in Kyle Tucker?

In no world should the Yankees settle for Luis Robert Jr. and call it a day. He wouldn't add much of anything to their lineup, and it seems like there are better, and cheaper options out there that could provide the same skills on defense.

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