Proposed Trade Idea Sees Philadelphia Phillies Land Star Slugger in Blockbuster Deal

This proposed trade would be a major move for the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason.

Jun 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) celebrates his home run during the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

As the Philadelphia Phillies get ready for the upcoming Hot Stove period of the offseason, one part of this roster stands out as a clear area they need to upgrade; the outfield.

This was something that was circled heading into the 2024 campaign following the massive struggles of Johan Rojas at the plate during the playoffs, but Dave Dombrowski decided to keep things status quo with the young center fielder in the starting lineup after stating the former top prospect would have to earn his spot for Opening Day.

That happened, and despite the Phillies sending him down to Triple-A at one point during the season with the goal of him working on hitting and bunting, they called him back up after a short period of time because of an injury Brandon Marsh suffered.

Speaking of Marsh, he showed growth at the plate this past year, but also looks to be more of a platoon player because of his issues when facing left-handed pitchers.

Philadelphia didn't necessarily overhaul that position ahead of the trade deadline, opting to bring in Austin Hays instead of going after a more high-profile player who could have potentially made an immediate impact.

All of that is to say the Phillies likely find a way to aggressively upgrade their outfield group before the 2025 season gets underway.

One player they have been constantly linked to is Chicago White Sox star Luis Robert Jr., and with that organization needing to undergo a complete teardown rebuild, Zach Pressnell of FanSided put together a trade proposal that would bring the slugger to town.

In his deal, he has Philadelphia giving up outfielder Justin Crawford, pitcher Mick Abel, and infielder Bryan Rincon.

"It would take three of the Phillies top 10 prospects to acquire Robert, but the good news is that this deal doesn't include Aidan Miller or Andrew Painter ... The Philadelphia front office needs to get aggressive with a move like this or the fans might burn the whole city down," he wrote.

The last part is hyperbolic, but the fanbase certainly won't be happy if the front office runs it back with the same roster.

This would be an expensive price to pay since Crawford is ranked No. 3 in the Phillies' pipeline, Abel is No. 6, and Rincon is No. 10.

However, they would be able to keep their superstar pitching prospect Andrew Painter and their current top-ranked minor leaguer Aidan Miller who both seem to be on track to play significant roles in the upcoming years, with Painter slated to debut in 2025.

Robert would take over in center field for Rojas while he continues to develop, and since the slugger is under contract through next season at $15 million and has club options for the next two that would total $40 million, he would be with Philadelphia until he turns 30 before he is scheduled to hit free agency.

Based on the current state of this Phillies team, bringing in the rising star who has a career slash line of .267/.316/.474 and 30-plus home run potential combined with Gold Glove-winning defense, would be a major addition.

Parting ways with Crawford would hurt the most, but if they can package Abel, who struggled at the Triple-A level last year, and a young player like Rincon, who's only reached the High Single-A level so far, to get someone like Robert, then that is a no-brainer move.