The Colorado Rockies’ historically poor 2025 season—on pace to be the worst in MLB history—has quickly overshadowed the fact that it was actually the Chicago White Sox who set the modern-era record for most losses just last year.
Unfortunately for the White Sox, things haven’t gotten much better. Only Colorado has a worse record, and Chicago is still deep in a rebuild, having traded away nearly all of their notable players—except for Luis Robert Jr.
Robert, once viewed as a franchise cornerstone, has seen his trade value dip due to a rough season at the plate. Despite that, a trade still seems probable, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan has named the San Diego Padres as a potential landing spot.
Proposed Trade Scenario
Padres receive: Luis Robert Jr.
White Sox receive: Braden Nett (Padres’ No. 9 prospect)
San Diego has arguably the weakest left field situation in baseball. Though the rest of their roster features stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Dylan Cease, Luis Arraez, and Xander Bogaerts, their left field mix of Jason Heyward, Gavin Sheets, and Brandon Lockridge has underwhelmed.
Heyward is batting just .176 and is currently injured. Lockridge hasn’t produced much either. Sheets has shown offensive promise but is better suited for DH or first base, as evidenced by an injury sustained in left field.
Despite this weak spot, the Padres are off to a strong 34-24 start. Acquiring Robert could fill their outfield gap. Although he’s primarily a center fielder, his athleticism would translate well to left field alongside Tatis and Merrill.
Robert is hitting just .177 this season—hardly an immediate upgrade—but a change of scenery could help him regain form. He’s a former All-Star with elite tools, including power (38 home runs in 2023) and speed. Though he’s prone to strikeouts, he’s also hit as high as .338 in the past.
Even if Robert doesn’t fully return to form, his base-stealing ability would add a valuable dimension to a Padres lineup that lacks speed.
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