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One of the most coveted players in trade talks this offseason is now unlikely to be traded before spring training. Despite the White Sox's efforts to part with Luis Robert Jr., Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported Thursday that the center fielder is likely to open camp in Chicago in February.
More news: GM Says Free Agent Signing 'Fractured' Relationship With New Cubs Pitcher Robert drew interest from the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants this winter, according to The Athletic , but no deal was consummated as a result. Citing unnamed sources, Rosenthal and Sammon reported "the (Reds) did not resolve how much of Robert's salary the White Sox would have paid. .
.. Reds infield prospect Edwin Arroyo , who missed all of last season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, was one player under discussion.
But ultimately, the Reds could not get comfortable with the total cost." Robert is among the most talented center fielders in baseball when healthy. A consensus top-10 prospect prior to the 2020 season, Robert has only intermittently put it all together at the major league level for the White Sox.
In 2023 Robert made his first American League All-Star team and won a Silver Slugger Award by hitting .264 with 38 home runs and stealing 20 bases. He stole 23 bases in 2024 despite missing two months with a hip injury and compiling a measly .
278 on-base percentage. More news: MLB Power Rankings: Top 10 Center Fielders The Reds have been busy since the 2024 season ended. Just this week, they acquired relief pitcher Taylor Rogers in a trade with the Giants, and signed former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays.
They also signed veteran left-hander Wade Miley to a minor league contract. Earlier this month, Cincinnati traded minor league outfielder Mike Sirota and a competitive-balance pick between the first and second rounds of the 2025 draft to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for second baseman Gavin Lux . More news: Gold Glove Winner Heads to AL East on $29 Million Contract: Reports Robert, 27, would have added to a young, athletic core of position players in Cincinnati headlined by shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
In San Francisco, he would have given the Giants a second key piece to their offseason puzzle that began with the signing of shortstop Willy Adames to the largest contract in franchise history — $182 million over seven years. Both the Giants and the Reds missed the postseaon in 2024, but were close enough to the fringe of the NL Wild Card race to believe one impact player could get them over the hump. Formore MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports .
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