The New York Mets swung a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday for outfielder Jose Siri. That could theoretically fill the hole in center field for president of baseball operations David Stearns. But what if Stearns could swing another trade with the Chicago White Sox that would put Luis Robert Jr. in center and starting pitcher Garrett Crochet in the rotation?
Robert hasn’t stayed healthy consistently throughout his career and posted a .687 OPS in 100 games played this season. However, the right-handed hitter is one year removed from a breakout campaign. He won a Silver Slugger Award in 2023 while hitting 38 home runs with 80 RBI and 90 runs scored for Chicago. Crochet’s first year as a full-time starter in 2024 resulted in a 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 209 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched while being named an All-Star for the first time.
What could a potential trade between New York and Chicago look like to make this happen? FanSided’s Josue De Jesus proposed the following eight-player swap:
– Mets receive: outfielder Luis Robert Jr. and left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet
– White Sox receive: infielder Brett Baty, infielder/outfielder Jett Williams, outfielder Ryan Clifford, right-handed pitcher Jonah Tong, catcher Kevin Parada and outfielder Alex Ramirez.
This is a monster trade proposal that includes four of New York’s top 30 prospects, according to MLB.com. The lone player not on the Mets’ top prospect list is Baty, who is no longer eligible for that status because he’s racked up too much big-league service time.
New York would be giving up quite a bit of talent in this scenario. However, it would also come with multiple years of control for immediate MLB contributors. Robert is in the final guaranteed season of a six-year, $50 million extension, but it also includes a pair of $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027. Crochet doesn’t have a long-term deal yet but is under team control via arbitration through 2026 and is estimated to earn $2.9 million next season.
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