It Sounds Like This Phillies Trade Target Will Get Dealt Earlier Than Expected

If the Philadelphia Phillies want to land one of their ideal trade targets, it sounds like they have to be aggressive sooner rather than later.

May 4, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) scores against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at Rate Field | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

After a rough stretch in the middle of April, the Philadelphia Phillies have started to play baseball in a manner that was expected of them coming into the year, winning three straight series and six out of their last 10 games with some balls finally being hit over the fence.

But there are still some clear holes on this roster.

Until the bullpen and outfield proves otherwise, those will be the areas that people point to when discussing what the Phillies need to prioritize ahead of the trade deadline.

And per usual, when discussing potential outfielders Philadelphia could go after, Luis Robert Jr. is brought up based on his power potential and Gold Glove-winning defense.

It looked like the Phillies would have to pay a king's ransom for the slugger when focusing on what he did in 2023 when he slashed .264/.315/.542 with 38 homers, 80 RBI and an OPS+ of 130 with an All-Star nod and Silver Slugger Award during what was his age-25 season.

However, Robert has struggled since that point, posting an OPS+ that was 14 points below the league average last year and slashing the worst of his career so far in 2025 with a line of .188/.304/.342 and an AL-leading 44 strikeouts entering play on Tuesday.

The good news is he has started to bounce back a bit from his early season struggles.

In his last seven games, Robert has slashed .320/.414/.600 with two homers and seven RBI.

This run of play could cause the Chicago White Sox to start listening to offers right now and potentially move him way ahead of the deadline, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

"If he continues, the White Sox hope to have him traded by Memorial Day," the insider reported.

That could put Philadelphia in a tough spot considering Brandon Marsh just returned from the injured list, Johan Rojas has started to improve at the plate and Max Kepler is beginning to hit the ball over the fence himself.

The Phillies could still decide that Robert is their missing piece and put together a trade package to acquire him, but it seems like Dave Dombrowski will have to make that decision much sooner than anticipated.