Mets, White Sox still talking trade for veteran outfielder

The New York Mets' lineup figures to be a much different group in 2026 with Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo gone while Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco are in. The biggest position of need for the Mets right now appears to be the outfield, where only Juan Soto and Tyrone Taylor are under contract at the big league level, and it looks as if David Stearns may have a trade target in mind to bolster that group.

Next up for the Chicago White Sox after the Munetaka Murakami signing:
They still would like to move CF Luis Robert for pitching depth and are engaged in talks with the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 21, 2025

USA Today's Bob Nightengale is reporting that the Mets are in trade talks with the Chicago White Sox about outfielder Luis Robert Jr. The White Sox added to their offense earlier in the day by signing Japanese infielder Munetaka Marakami to a two-year deal, which could give them the flexibility to shop Robert to improve other areas of their team, including their pitching.

White Sox, INF Munetaka Murakami reportedly agree to 2-year deal, per multiple reports including MLB's @Feinsand. pic.twitter.com/ldOOwEgJ6a
— MLB (@MLB) December 21, 2025

The Mets were in discussions with the White Sox about a Robert trade prior to the trade deadline, but couldn't close a deal as Chicago reportedly asked for top prospects like Jonah Tong in packages. Robert, 28, is coming off a down year offensively where he hit .223 with 14 home runs, 53 RBI and a .661 OPS in 110 games.

Luis Robert Jr. has been a polarizing name for some, but he’s an elite defensive center fielder with elite speed

His offense has been down the last few seasons, but he finished strong at the plate in 2025

Low-risk, high-reward https://t.co/MzH04R2WPi
— Danny Abriano (@DannyAbriano) December 21, 2025

Stearns could see some value with Robert as a defender, who rated as an above-average fielder in center and recorded seven outs above average (OAA) in 2025. Acquiring Robert would allow the Mets to begin Carson Benge's career in left field as Nimmo's replacement, which could be a better defensive fit for him at this stage of his development.

What A Luis Robert Jr. Trade Could Look Like For The Mets

Robert is under contract for 2026 at $20 million and has a club option for 2027 at the same rate, meaning the Mets would theoretically have two years of control if Robert rebounds with a change of scenery. It is unclear what the White Sox' priority would be in a Robert trade; there have been conflicting rumors circulating that earlier discussions this winter had Chicago asking New York to pick up Robert's entire salary while parting with top prospects as well, a stance the Mets balked at.

Nightengale's commentary on pitching depth offers some insight into what Chicago could want now, which could make the Mets an intriguing match for the White Sox. While Stearns would likely balk at including one of his top pitching prospects (Tong or Brandon Sproat) for a potential rental of Robert, they could satisfy the White Sox' desires by moving a surplus big league starter like David Peterson or Kodai Senga instead.

Senga would make the money closer to a wash while giving the White Sox a chance at rebuilding his value at a reasonable rate for the next two years. Peterson is in his walk year but has been more consistent of late than Senga (especially in terms of durability), which could help the White Sox improve their pitching depth in that sense for 2026 while giving them a chip they could flip at the deadline for more pieces.

A one-for-one swap of either Peterson or Senga likely wouldn't be enough to get the job done, so a deal could expand to include one of the team's excess young infielders (Luisangel Acuña, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio) and a pitching prospect outside the organization's top ten prospects, such as RHP Will Watson.

Vientos is someone the White Sox have liked in the past and is in a tricky spot for the Mets, who have to either commit to moving him to first base or as their primary DH to get the most value out of him in 2026. The minor leagues are no longer a consideration since Vientos is out of options, meaning the Mets really need to either play Vientos every day or trade him to maximize his value.

A theoretical package of Senga or Peterson, Vientos and Watson may be something Stearns pitches to Chicago to buy low on Robert while offering Chicago some salary relief. It remains to be seen if such an offer would satisfy the White Sox, who are also talking to the Cincinnati Reds (among others) about potential Robert deals.

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What A Luis Robert Jr. Trade Could Look Like For The Mets

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