Luisangel Acuña and a pitching prospect are headed back to Chicago


Getty Images

The New York Mets have acquired outfielder Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox, the teams announced late Tuesday night. Chicago will receive two players in exchange: infielder Luisangel Acuña and pitching prospect Truman Pauley.

For Chicago, the trade continues what's been a long rebuilding process that's yielded some historically terrible on-field results. With the young talent received in their recent trades in place or trickling into the majors, the goal for the White Sox now shifts to possible contention in the coming seasons. For Robert, he gets a new start as a reclamation project of sorts in New York, where he joins an outfield likely to also include Juan Soto and top prospect Carson Benge.

Robert, 28, has tools aplenty and a deserved All-Star selection to his credit. However, injuries and inconsistency at the plate have impeded what at one point looked like a star career in the making. The last two seasons, Robert has bottomed out to a .223/.288/.372 (85 OPS+) batting line, though he is two years removed from hitting 38 home runs, and center fielders who can do that are rare.

Poor 2024-25 slash line aside, Robert is still more than capable of manning center and he still adds value on the bases (33 stolen bases in 2025). As well, Robert finished this past season strong, hitting .298/.352/.456 in 31 second-half games around a hamstring injury. We have seen flashes of the player who received MVP votes in 2023 these last two years, just not often enough.

Robert is the latest notable addition in a Mets offseason that has also seen them obtain infielders Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, and Jorge Polanco, as well as relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.

The White Sox declined to trade Robert at the deadline and instead picked up his $20 million club option for 2026. There is another $20 million club option in his contract for 2027. With a $2 million buyout, it's an $18 million decision, and $18 million could be a bargain if Robert stays healthy and performs well next season.

On the White Sox's end, they'll try to coax better play at the big-league level from Acuña. The 23-year-old has hit .248/.299/.341 (82 OPS+) in 109 career games. He was considered a quality prospect at one point, however, and he's seen action at various infield positions and in the outfield.

Pauley, 22, was the Mets' 12th-round draft pick last summer. He appeared in three Florida State League games as a professional, walking more batters than he struck out while delivering a low-to-mid-90s fastball, a cutter, and a pair of breaking balls from a lower release point than his 6-foot-2 frame suggests.

Source