Philadelphia Phillies Blockbuster Trade Target Seemingly Won't Get Moved

Based on some new information, it seems like the Philadelphia Phillies might not be able to land one of their potential targets at the trade deadline.

Jun 7, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) points after he hits a home run against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

There aren't a whole lot of teams who seem like they will be sellers at the trade deadline, making it difficult for the Philadelphia Phillies to hone in on some potential targets they might be interested in pursuing.

Because of how tight things are in the Wild Card race across both leagues, there's a chance there won't be a lot of front offices who are looking to sell off impact players and will roll the dice on their teams getting hot at the right time to get into the playoffs.

If that's the case, the Phillies might be the team most negatively affected by that since they are clear buying candidates and have a couple different areas they would like to improve.

Outfield has been a long-rumored target president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski might pursue.

With the Chicago White Sox owning the worst record in baseball, they were viewed as a team who will sell off many of their impact players to kick start their rebuilding process.

Their star slugging outfielder, Luis Robert Jr., has been a hot name for many teams looking to make a playoff push, and naturally, he was linked to Philadelphia as a potential target of theirs.

He would bring more pop to this lineup that already has some of the best hitters in the game, and with Johan Rojas currently in Triple-A, he would be able to take over in center field, keeping Brandon Marsh in right and Nick Castellanos in left, while also giving them a strong defensive profile.

Unfortunately, the White Sox might not be willing to deal him anymore.

"Given Robert's talent and club control, two high-ranking rival officials said Chicago has no need to feel any urgency to move him despite the club's undesirable state. The general feeling within the industry is that the White Sox are in no rush to deal him, either," The Athletic reports.

Whether that's actually the case, or if Chicago's front office, who has had a high asking price for all their top players, is saying this to gain more leverage will be seen by July 30.

Robert would certainly be a blockbuster addition, giving the Phillies another elite player.

However, there are also some things to be concerned about.

He's missed time with injuries throughout his career, so relying on him to be available when they need him most could come back to bite them. His high strikeout rate is another thing that could give Philadelphia issues as they came into the year looking to lower how often they chase pitches.

Still, landing Robert and having him on this team for the next three seasons would give them a potential superstar slugger in their outfield.