Royals Loosely Linked To White Sox's $50 Million All-Star In Possible Blockbuster
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The Kansas City Royals' outfield is the subject of constant dismay.
In 2024, the Royals' outfield was pitiful for any team, let alone a playoff participant. The group finished third-to-last in fWAR among all Major League Baseball outfields, ahead of only the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox.
As they hope to back up their playoff appearance with an even stronger season in 2025, how ironic would it be if the Royals got the outfield help they need by trading with those very same White Sox for a former All-Star?
White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. has been on the trade block for a full year at this point, but thanks in part to his down year in 2024, he still hasn't been moved. His $50 million contract extension expires after the season (though he does have two club options available), so his name will be constantly thrown around in trade rumors this summer as well.
On Friday, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller named the Royals among the early favorites for Robert, who was listed as a "top 10 trade chip" for the season in the author's article.
"The former All-Star needs to re-establish that he can both play and play well on a regular basis," Miller wrote. "Provided he does so, he'll get the trade that everyone (including Robert himself) assumed was going to happen this offseason."
"As far as a trade partner goes, the Phillies, Mets, Astros and Royals could all be in the mix here, given their respective center field situations."
Robert is still only 27 years old, and in 2023, he clubbed 38 home runs with an .857 OPS, taking home a Silver Slugger Award. But injuries limited him to 100 games last season, and that OPS dropped by a full 200 points.
The Royals could sorely use someone with Robert's abilities in center field if he's at his best. But in that situation, the White Sox would have a lot of potential suitors, so even though they'd presumably be willing to move him within the division, it wouldn't be easy to pry him loose.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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