Done Deal: with $155 Million, Cincinnati Reds acquires White Sox All-Star Outfielder Louis Robert in blockbuster trade, Aiming for a Strong 2025 Season.
Building A Luis Robert Jr. Trade With The Cincinnati Reds
With Garrett Crochet now in Boston, trading Luis Robert Jr. is the next order of business for Chris Getz and the White Sox front office. Reports from the Winter Meetings revealed that several teams showed interest in the talented 27-year-old White Sox outfielder. The Cincinnati Reds are one of those teams. With a relatively strong farm system, Cincinnati has the young talent to pry Robert Jr. away from the White Sox.
Atlanta Braves Rally to Secure Win vs. Cincinnati Reds
Robert Jr.’s Potential Fit In Cincinnati
Gordon Wittenmyer, the Reds beat writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer, recently linked the Reds to Robert Jr. It is a logical fit. For one, Cincinnati hired future Hall of Famer Terry Francona to be their manager earlier this offseason. They wouldn’t have made that move if they weren’t serious about competing in 2025. Secondly, the Reds are not known for being aggressive spenders for star players in free agency. Robert Jr. offers star potential at a reasonable price point. Should his team options for 2026 and 2027 get picked up, Robert Jr. would be owed just $55 million over the next three seasons. That isn’t crippling even for a smaller market team like the Reds.
Risks Involved For Both Teams
Unfortunately, Robert Jr.’s situation involves other factors. He is coming off the worst season of his MLB career and has a substantial injury history. For those reasons, there is some risk from the Reds’ perspective. That said, he represents a rare opportunity for a ballclub like Cincinnati to obtain a player with star-level talent. Reds outfielders combined to hit just .221 with a .682 OPS last season. Robert Jr. would undoubtedly upgrade their outfield and strengthen their team.
There are also key decisions the White Sox must make regarding Robert Jr.’s status. His trade value is the lowest it has ever been due to a disappointing 2024 season. But it doesn’t make sense to trade him for pennies. Chris Getz acknowledged as much in the Winter Meetings. The White Sox have to get something significant to justify trading him away. The Reds can offer that.
Trade Proposal: Luis Robert Jr. for infielder Cam Collier (#93 overall prospect in MLB) and outfielder Mike Sirota
Cam Collier
Cam Collier is a 20-year-old left-handed hitting infielder who is currently the #93 overall prospect in baseball per MLB.com. A former first-round pick in 2022, Collier has progressed through the Reds farm system over the past few years. He spent the entirety of the 2024 season in High-A, where he hit 21 doubles and 20 home runs in 119 games. Collier put up a 129 wRC+ and a .798 OPS despite being over three years younger than the average player at that level. His 25% strikeout rate is a bit lofty, but he also walked 13% of the time against older competition.
Collier played primarily third base this past season, and scouting reports rave about his arm strength. He has also displayed impressive in-game power for someone as young as he is. There is some concern that he might eventually move to first base long-term, but the White Sox are at the early rebuild stage where they must accumulate as much talent as possible. They can worry about defensive positions later. Collier would add another high upside left-handed bat to a newly revamped White Sox farm system.
Mike Sirota
Mike Sirota is a 21-year-old right-handed hitting outfielder and is currently the #14 prospect in the Reds organization. His 2024 college stats with the Northeastern Huskies took a step back compared to what he did in 2023, but Sirota still showed enough to be a third-round pick just a few months ago.
Sirota is a well-rounded player. His scouting report gives him a 60 grade in running and 55 grades in arm and field. Scouts also praise his bat-to-ball skills, bat speed, arm strength, and route running in the outfield. He should also be able to stick in center field long-term. Sirota represents an intriguing upside play as the second piece in a Robert Jr. trade.
Win/Win Trade
If the Garrett Crochet trade is any indication, the White Sox want young position player prospects in trades. This deal would give them two more in the form of a top 100 left-handed hitting infielder and an outfielder who should be able to stick in center field long-term.
Trading for Luis Robert Jr. is a high-risk, high-reward proposition from the Reds’ standpoint. He is a logical change of scenery candidate. It isn’t unreasonable to think he could bounce back in a new environment playing meaningful games again.
Luis Robert Jr. for Cam Collier and Mike Sirota represents a win/win for both sides. The White Sox get out of Robert Jr.’s contract and add two more hitting prospects that fit their future timeline better. The Reds get a star-level player on a potential bargain contract as they look to compete next season and beyond. Robert Jr. to Cincinnati is an obvious fit as there is this offseason.