The New York Mets have been one of the more aggressive teams in MLB this offseason, and they just pulled off a significant trade. After all the moves they’d made and the players they’d added or lost, the Mets still didn’t have a viable center field plan.
Now, they do. According to multiple reports, the Mets have traded for Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. This ends the Mets’ pursuit of an outfielder (probably) and draws to a close a lengthy and dramatic saga for Robert and the White Sox.
New York Mets add Luis Robert Jr.
For the low price of Luisangel Acuna and right-handed pitcher Truman Pauley, the New York Mets have landed Luis Robert Jr. He’s been on the trade market for years, with how bad the Chicago White Sox have been.
However, perhaps as a result of the White Sox being the most incompetent and worst team in the MLB, Robert’s performance dipped. He had 3.4 fWAR in 68 games in 2021, following that up with 2.1 in 98 games the following year. He peaked in 2023 with 4.9 fWAR, but things went downhill from there.
Robert recorded 0.6 and then 1.1 fWAR in the two years, and his offensive production really dipped. As a result, so did his trade value, which may have been why the White Sox, as bad as they were, didn’t trade him until now.
The Mets are definitely buying low, but the White Sox may feel that Robert is unlikely to rebound with them. Therefore, they pulled the trigger while they still can. But for almost nothing, the Mets landed a player who could be really good. If nothing else, he remains a good defender and baserunner.
According to Jeff Passan, “The Mets will inherit the remainder of the 28-year-old Robert’s contract, which will cost $20 million this season and includes a club option for $20 million with a $2 million buyout next year.”
Because this deal pushes them over the tax threshold, they will pay a 110% tax on Robert, meaning he will cost them $42 million in 2026. This was, financially speaking, a costly move, similar to the Los Angeles Dodgers adding Kyle Tucker.
Still, after missing the playoffs with Juan Soto on board, the Mets were obviously very shocked and unhappy, so they made a slew of massive changes. Adding Robert, assuming they don’t also get Cody Bellinger, is the cherry on top.
The Mets have been busy
The New York Mets have been busy. They’ve added:
- Luis Robert Jr.
- Bo Bichette
- Jorge Polanco
- Marcus Semien
They’re also one of four teams that could still sign Cody Bellinger, although it feels a little less likely now that they have Robert to play center field. Bellinger could play first base, but it still feels like they’re unlikely to really go after him.
But regardless, the Mets have totally overhauled their roster after an 83-79 record that left them just short of a postseason spot. This was one year after making a surprising NLCS run and then adding Juan Soto. Gone are first baseman Pete Alonso (Baltimore Orioles) and closer Edwin Diaz (Los Angeles Dodgers) in free agency. They also traded left fielder Brandon Nimmo (Texas Rangers) and utility Jeff McNeil (Athletics).
The Mets now feature a very different lineup than a year ago:
- Francisco Lindor, SS
- Juan Soto, RF
- Mark Vientos, DH
- Bo Bichette, 3B
- Marcus Semien, 2B
- Jorge Polanco, 1B
- Luis Robert Jr., CF
- Tyrone Taylor, LF
- Francisco Alvarez, C
After a dismal season, Mets owner Steve Cohen spared no expense in totally reshaping his roster to hopefully be more competitive in the NL. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs have all had good offseasons, so the National League remains immensely crowded.
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