Houston Astros Should Trade For Chicago White Sox Former All-Star Outfielder

Here's why the Houston Astros should trade for a talented former All-Star outfielder.

Apr 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Rate Field. | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

With the Houston Astros off to a bit of a slow start to the year, they might want to consider making a trade to help bolster their lineup.

This offseason, the Astros were one of the most active teams in terms of players coming and going. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like Houston is as talented as they were in years past this campaign.

Losing Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman has left a noticeable void in the lineup, and it doesn’t help that some of their proven veterans are struggling to begin the season, as well.

Luckily, Jose Altuve is off to a strong start, but he alone can’t carry the offense. However, it has been impressive that his move to left field has seemingly had no impact on his ability to perform at the plate.

While moving Altuve to the outfield helped replace some of the production lost by trading away Tucker, the unit could still use some more firepower.

One player who could make a lot of sense for the Astros is Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr.

The 27-year-old has flashed a lot of potential early on in his career, but he has had some injuries and inconsistent play, as well.

Back in 2023, Robert had his breakout season, slashing .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs, 80 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

It was an amazing campaign for the talented center fielder in 2023, but he wasn’t able to replicate that success in 2024, with injuries seemingly slowing him down a bit.

Furthermore, he is off to a slow start in 2025, slashing .136/.235/.203 with one home run, four RBI and six stolen bases.

While there is certainly some risk to trading for Robert, there is also a lot of upside.

After all the losses for the White Sox the last couple of years and the lack of talent around him, a change of scenery for someone just two years removed from an All-Star season would likely do wonders.

Furthermore, the current outfielder situation for the Astros isn’t great.

Adding a good defensive player in between Altuve and Cam Smith makes a lot of sense, and if he can find his offensive form from 2023, that trio has the potential to be special at the plate.

It’s a bit tricky to exactly figure out the direction of Houston after the moves made this winter. But a player like Robert would help improve the team now and in the future, which should make him someone the Astros are interested in.