Padres Acquire Luis Robert Jr. In ‘Fresh Start’ Hypothetical Trade Idea

The San Diego Padres desperately need to add a left fielder at the trade deadline. The Padres’ outfield has been fine because of the production from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill, but left field has been a revolving door of below-average production.

Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly recently suggested the Padres could swing a trade with the Chicago White Sox to acquire Luis Robert Jr. in a potential “fresh start” deal.

“On the surface, there’s not a ton to love about what Luis Robert Jr. is as a player right now. He has a lengthy injury history and has hit just .216 with a .648 OPS since the start of the 2024 season,” Kelly wrote. “What’s interesting, though, is that Gavin Sheets has revived his career in San Diego this season with 14 home runs and 51 RBI after being non-tendered by the White Sox last offseason.

“Might San Diego president of baseball operations A.J. Preller be compelled to go back to the well with a once-heralded player from the White Sox? Frankly, there’s not a lot of risk. If you trade for Robert and he stinks and/or gets hurt, so be it. But this is someone who is only two years removed from hitting 38 home runs.”

Robert is having a bad season, but he’s gotten unlucky at the dish with a career-low .268 batting average on balls in play. He’s a prime “change of scenery” candidate. Adding Robert to a new team with a new coaching staff and a fresh start could work wonders to turn his career around.

It was just a few years ago that Robert clubbed 38 home runs in a single campaign. He can’t be more than an adjustment or two from returning to form.

To make matters better for San Diego, he’s unlikely to cost much on the trade block. The outfielder is also a very good defender, so his floor remains higher than most.

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