The worst team in baseball, the Chicago White Sox, are here in Seattle this week, starting a four-game series Monday night at T-Mobile Park, and Mariners fans should be excited.
Because?
Because you have the chance to see Luis Robert Jr. over the next four days.
You get to see one of the game’s elite center fielders and hitters.
And you can dream about what he could (and should) look like in a Mariners uniform.
The Mariners front office will also be watching closely.
Robert is one of the top trade chips available on the market this summer, and is ideal for what the Mariners need in the middle of their lineup. He could be the ideal person.
The White Sox, with a 17-49 record and going nowhere fast, are already actively shopping Robert, according to reports.
The Mariners should have a competitive offer available to present right now, and they have high-end prospects that could allow them to make a more competitive offer than anyone else.
What is it going to take?
It will take the kind of package (including No. 1 prospect Noelvi Marte, plus shortstop Edwin Arroyo, plus pitchers Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore) that the Mariners sent to Cincinnati for ace Luis Castillo in 2022.
It was a move the Mariners had to make, and it was a move that helped them return to the playoffs for the first time in two decades. Then and now, the Mariners would make that trade again: 100 out of 100 times.
They need to execute a similarly impactful trade this summer, and Robert will need an awkward package of prospects. A package like: catcher Harry Ford (Mariners’ No. 2 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline), shortstop Felnin Celesten (No. 5) and pitcher Tyler Gough (No. 30).
Too much, you say? Too uncomfortable.
Too much.
That’s the going price (more or less the right cost) for a bona fide bat that could help the Mariners claim their first AL West title since 2001 and close the gap on the Yankees, Orioles and the Guardians in the hunt for the American League pennant. .
The Mariners have to try.
The organization showed it was serious about improving the offense when it fired first-year offensive coordinator Brant Brown on May 31. Brown probably didn’t deserve to be the scapegoat for the offense’s terrible start to the season, but the front office did its best. Let’s be clear: This is not about wasting time, and he needs to redouble his efforts by acquiring the kind of bat that can put this team over the top.
Perhaps the Mariners, like the rest of the league, will wait on the Toronto Blue Jays to see if Vlad Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette become available just before the July 30 trade deadline.
Perhaps the Mariners will change their stance on rental players and trade for Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, a free agent at the end of the season.
Or maybe the Mariners love what they see from Robert this week and love the idea of playing him in right field, right next to his baseball doppelgänger.
Yes, Luis Robert Jr., 26, and Julio Rodríguez, 23, are practically the same player.
And what’s better than having Julio Rodríguez on your team?
Try two.
Consider:
In 2023, Robert played in a career-high 145 games, hitting 38 home runs, stealing 20 bases, posting an .857 OPS and 5.0 bWAR. Among all center fielders, only Rodriguez had a higher bWAR (5.3) last season.
Here are his career numbers:
Robert: 1,569 plate appearances, 78 HR, .276/.323/.500 (.823 OPS), 47 SB, wRC+ 123, .349 wOBA, 11.9 fWAR, 13 Outs Above Average (CF).
Rodriguez: 1,557 plate appearances, 65 HR, .277/.335/.468 (.803 OPS), 76 SB, wRC+ 128, .345 wOBA, 12.2 fWAR, 12 Outs Above Average (CF).
At their peak, both are among the top 20 players in baseball.
Robert is also under contract during the prime of his career, with reasonable salaries for each of the next three seasons ($15 million in 2025 and $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027). For a budget-strapped organization, that should also be attractive to the Mariners.
Here’s the problem with Robert this week: he ignores the results.
Ignore what Robert does at the plate against the Mariners over the next four days. The hunch here is that he won’t be pretty.
Because?
Because the Mariners, if they are wise, will not throw Robert a single strike. They probably don’t need it. For one, there is little protection around him in the White Sox lineup.
And like Rodriguez, Robert is an aggressive hitter, meaning he will do his tricks and chase at a very high rate. And like Rodríguez, Robert hates walking.
However, the talent should be obvious.
There are risks in acquiring Robert, of course. There are risks with any major trade, and perhaps Robert’s injury history (he’s played 100 games only once in his career and missed the first two months of this season with a hip flexor strain) makes him a one even more than one.
There’s a risk that Celesten (or Ford or whatever top prospect you give up) will become a star in another uniform. And that is an acceptable risk.
Celesten might have the highest ceiling of any prospect in the Mariners organization (one talent evaluator suggested he’s more talented than Rodriguez), but he’s still only 18 years old and has just two dozen professional games on his resume.
Celesten could be anything five years from now, which is part of what would make him an attractive lottery ticket for a team like the White Sox, and part of what makes him an acceptable trade piece for a team like the White Sox. Sailors should be in full swing. win now mode: a team that should not hesitate to make this type of move now.
Keynote USA
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