Mets Land OF Luis Robert Jr. in Trade With White Sox

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The Mets are set to acquire center fielder Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox in a late-night Tuesday trade, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported.
In return, Chicago will receive infielder Luisangel Acuña and right-handed pitcher Truman Pauley from New York.
This big move comes after the Mets signed shortstop Bo Bichette to a three-year deal last week. The Mets are once again making hot stove splashes this offseason.
Robert has been tied to the Mets over the last few trade deadlines, and he finally lands in New York ahead of the 2026 season. He’s been with the White Sox since he started his MLB career in ’20. He was a Gold Glove winner in his rookie season, and an All-Star and Silver Slugger in ‘23.
The White Sox haven’t had a winning season since ‘21, going 162–324 over the last three seasons. The Mets, on the other hand, made the playoffs in ‘24 and narrowly missed the postseason in ‘25 with a 83–79 record.
Last season, Robert played in 110 games and averaged .223/.297/.364. He recorded 85 hits, 52 runs, 53 RBIs and slugged 14 home runs. His season ended a month prematurely after he suffered a hamstring strain.
Tyrone Taylor was the Mets’ expected starting center fielder before the Robert trade.
The Mets had been in the conversation to land Yankees free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, but the Robert deal may signal that Bellinger isn’t likely to end up with the other New York team.
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Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.
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