New York Mets acquire outfielder Luis Robert Jr. in deal with White Sox, according to ESPN sources
Los New York Mets they acquired al center fielder Luis Robert Jr. in a exchange with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, adding a solid defense with a high-potential offensive game as they restructure their roster after a disappointing 2025.
The deal, which sent infielder Luisangel Acuña and right-hander Truman Pauley to the White Sox, capped a day in which the Mets made official their three-year, $126 million contract with free agent infielder Bo Bichette.
With Robert Jr., Bichette, Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien in their lineup and Devin Williams and Luke Weaver in their bullpen, the Mets have renewed their roster after an 83-79 finish that left them on the verge of the postseason. New York lost first baseman Pete Alonso (Baltimore Orioles) and closer Edwin Díaz (Los Angeles Dodgers) in free agency and traded left fielder Brandon Nimmo (Texas Rangers) and utility man Jeff McNeil (Athletics).
The Mets will inherit the remainder of 28-year-old Robert Jr.’s contract, which will cost $20 million this season and includes a $20 million club option with a $2 million buyout next year, sources said. The deal will bring their payroll to around $350 million, and by exceeding the upper limit of the competitive balance tax, they will pay a 110% penalty on any additional salary, bringing the actual cost for Robert Jr. this season to $42 million.
Robert Jr. has shown flashes of a level of play commensurate with that salary. In 2023, he was one of the most dynamic players in baseball, hitting 38 home runs and stealing 20 bases. However, he struggled to hit the past two seasons, hitting a combined .223/.288/.372 with 28 home runs, 88 RBIs and 56 stolen bases in 856 plate appearances.
Given his age, talent and position, Robert Jr. emerged as an excellent option for a Mets team that was beginning to take shape. With stars Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto leading the lineup, they have replaced several professional hitters such as Bichette, Polanco and Semien, allowing them to bet on Robert Jr., who unleashes his dynamism at Citi Field.
Chicago entered the winter with interesting trades for Robert Jr., as it works toward its own rebuild, and landed Acuña, 23, the younger brother of Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Although he has spent most of his limited time in the major leagues at second base, Acuña has also played shortstop, third base and center field.
Less than 18 months removed from finishing with the most losses in a single season in baseball history, Chicago suddenly has an intriguing group in the infield, with Japanese star Munetaka Murakami signing this winter to play first base, shortstop Colson Montgomery, second baseman Chase Meidroth, third baseman Miguel Vargas and baseball’s best pair of young catchers, Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero.
The White Sox also have the first pick in July’s draft, expected to be UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.
Although Acuña has offered limited power in 233 major league plate appearances, hitting .248/.299/.341 with three home runs, he has shined in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League this winter with a .939 OPS. Acuña has been even better in the postseason, batting .373/.450/.765 and recording the first four-homer game in the league’s 80-year history. Pauley, 22, was selected in the 12th round of the draft last year by the Mets out of Harvard, where he struck out 91 players and walked 48 in 70 1/3 innings as a draft-eligible second-year player. In three starts with the Mets’ Low Class A affiliate, he allowed one run and no hits in 4 1/3 innings.
