Tanner Banks Explains Why Phillies Fans Should Want Rumored Luis Robert Jr. Trade

Things are heating up for the Philadelphia Phillies when it comes to trade rumors, and multiple high-profile names have continued to be linked to them before July 31 passes.

One of the most popular names is Luis Robert Jr., the slugger from the Chicago White Sox who has often been connected to the Phillies based on their need to upgrade their outfield unit.

Robert is someone Philadelphia fans would have been clamoring for the organization to acquire just a year ago. He was coming off a ridiculous 2023 season where he bashed 38 homers and recorded 80 RBI, finishing with a .264/.315/.542 slash line that earned him an All-Star nod, a Silver Slugger Award and a 12th-place finish in AL MVP voting.

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However, it's been downhill for him since.

Robert failed to record an OPS+ number above the league average of 100 last year, and so far this season, he has performed even worse.

That has made him a lightning rod when it comes to whether or not fans wanting the Phillies to give up future assets to acquire him. However, his former White Sox teammate and current reliever for Philadelphia, Tanner Banks, explains why the fanbase should be excited about a potential trade to bring the slugger in to town.

"Robert's a gamer," he said, per Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). "He's got a sneaky arm, very fast, power, the ability to hit for average. He's the complete package. He's young. He's very toolsy. He's not a guy I like to face. Even if he's having a down year, I don't like to face him."

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That part about the down year Robert is having is where the concern comes from.

The Phillies need a difference maker in their outfield, something it looked like he could be based on what he did in 2023. But with now a year-and-a-half of below-average play under his belt, there's a chance that performance was just a flash in the pan.

Banks believes that perhaps all Robert needs is a fresh start away from Chicago to get his career back on track, something Philadelphia gave him last season when they acquired him before the deadline.

"Across the board in baseball, sometimes that's what it takes. Just a breath of fresh air. It has nothing to do with where you're at. Sometimes people just get stuck in doing the same thing, and just a fresh set of eyes, you snap back to reality a little bit," he stated.

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If a change of scenery can get Robert back to what he was in 2023, then he could be a major reason why the Phillies win the World Series this year.

Philadelphia is expected get a good look at Robert when they face the White Sox starting on Monday in what will be their last series before the trade deadline.

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