The storyline surrounding Him. has hovered over Major League Baseball for what feels like the entirety of the 2025 season. From Opening Day onward, fans, executives, and analysts have been waiting to see whether the Chicago White Sox would finally move their franchise centerfielder — and whether the New York Mets, a team with an obvious long-term need in center, would be the one to acquire him.
Now that the 2025 regular season has come and gone, He remains a member of the White Sox organization, and the Mets remain without a true everyday centerfielder. The lingering question is simple: will this long-anticipated blockbuster ever materialize, or will it remain one of those rumored deals that never quite comes together?
According to ESPN insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, the odds are finally tilting toward a resolution. Both reporters believe that He has a strong chance — 60 percent, by their estimation — of being traded during the offseason.
They also list the Mets as one of four realistic landing spots, along with the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cincinnati Reds. In their view, the market conditions are lining up for Chicago to make a move that has been years in the making.
Passan and McDaniel argue that the White Sox missed their optimal window to cash in on Robert’s peak value. After a breakout 2023 season in which he looked like one of the most dynamic players in baseball, Chicago opted to hold him rather than trade him while his value was soaring. Their plan at the time appeared to be waiting until the 2024 trade deadline to maximize the return.
But that approach ultimately backfired: Robert’s performance plummeted, injuries resurfaced, and his trade value eroded sharply during the 2024 campaign. The insiders note that this downturn forced the White Sox to hold him through the 2025 season as well, waiting for another chance to recoup the type of premium return they once envisioned.
Now, however, circumstances have shifted once again. While the White Sox would not simply give the talented outfielder away, the combination of back-to-back disappointing seasons and a sizable salary commitment means that any potential haul will be far more limited than it would have been two years ago. That reality makes the upcoming offseason feel like a natural breaking point — a moment when both player and franchise may need a fresh start.
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Still, trading Robert before the 2026 season is not Chicago’s only option. The White Sox could decide to hold him into next summer in hopes that he rebuilds his value early in the year.
A strong first half in 2026 could spark a bidding war at the deadline, similar to what many expected to unfold in 2024. But the risk is obvious: the strategy only works if Robert plays markedly better than he has over the past two seasons. Another stretch of inconsistency or injury would once again leave the White Sox with diminishing leverage.
Financially, Robert remains under team control, but not cheaply. As Passan and McDaniel point out, Chicago exercised his $20 million option for 2026, and the club holds another $20 million option for 2027. These terms make his contract expensive, but not prohibitive for a player with elite physical tools. According to Statcast data referenced by ESPN, Robert still grades in the 90th percentile or better in sprint speed, defensive range, and bat speed — indicators that the raw ability has not disappeared, even if the results have fluctuated.
The central question for any team considering a trade is simple: which version of Luis Robert Jr. will they be acquiring? His 2023 stat line — a .264 average, 38 home runs, 20 steals, and top-tier defensive metrics — produced a 4.9-WAR season and showcased the kind of all-around impact few centerfielders can replicate.
That is the version of the player the White Sox are hoping resurfaces. It is also the version that teams like the Mets, Giants, Phillies, and Reds believe could elevate their roster if he returns to peak form. But since the start of 2024, Robert has accumulated just 1.9 WAR combined over two seasons — a steep drop from the player he appeared to be not long ago.
For the Mets specifically, the potential upgrade is obvious. New York has been searching for long-term stability in center field for several seasons, cycling through temporary solutions while waiting for a true cornerstone player to emerge. Robert, at his best, fits that profile. His combination of power, athleticism, and defensive excellence is rare in today’s game, and the Mets have both the financial resources and the organizational urgency to pursue a player of his caliber.
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But even if Robert represents a clear improvement for the Mets, acquiring him is far from guaranteed. The competition could be fierce, with at least three other clubs reportedly interested, each with its own motivations. The Giants have been aggressively pursuing impact talent to bolster their offense; the Phillies continue to seek upgrades that align with their win-now roster; and the Reds, with a deep farm system, could outbid many teams if they decide Robert is the missing piece to push them over the top.
Additionally, Chicago’s internal evaluation of potential trade packages will shape the entire conversation. The White Sox must decide whether accepting a lesser return now is preferable to gambling on Robert’s ability to rebuild his value later. They must also weigh the trajectory of their franchise, which appears to be trending toward a full-scale reset rather than a quick retool.
Meanwhile, the Mets will need to determine whether the cost — both in prospects and in salary commitment — is worth the upside, especially given Robert’s recent inconsistency and injury history. If the Mets view him as a high-risk, high-reward acquisition, they will have to decide just how aggressive they want to be.
Ultimately, while all signs suggest that a trade is more likely than not this winter, nothing is certain. Many variables remain: Chicago’s willingness to compromise, Robert’s health, the bidding war among interested teams, and the Mets’ own appetite for a major splash.
What is clear is that the situation has reached a tipping point. The baseball world has waited years to see where Luis Robert Jr. will land next, and this offseason may finally deliver the long-anticipated resolution. For the Mets — and for several other teams — the coming months will determine whether they can seize the opportunity to acquire one of baseball’s most intriguing, if perplexing, talents.
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