Pirates Could Solve Offensive Problem With White Sox Trade

It has been a prototypical frustrating offseason for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Could they still make a move that could transform the team and better set them up to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015? Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter proposed trades for teams that still need to make a move and had the Pirates trading with the Chicago White Sox for center fielder and 2023 All-Star Luis Robert Jr.
In return, the Pirates would trade a trio of top 25 prospects by MLB Pipeline's rankings, right-handed pitchers Thomas Harrington and Khristian Curtis and first baseman/outfielder Tony Blanco Jr.
"Despite injury issues, Robert has been a star when healthy, posting a 117 OPS+ over his five seasons in the majors while averaging 36 doubles, 31 home runs, 85 RBI, 24 steals and 4.8 WAR per 162 games," Reuter writes. "The 27-year-old has a $15 million salary for the 2025 season and a pair of matching $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027 that both carry a $2 million buyout, so it's not necessarily a risky financial move for a budget-conscious franchise like the Pirates."
Robert Jr. had the best season of his career in 2023 when he played a career-high 145 games in 2023. He batted .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs and 80 RBIs, stole 20 bases and posted a 5.0 Wins Above Replacement. He also won the Silver Slugger Award for his performance at the plate.
Robert Jr.'s performance dipped considerably, though, being a part of a White Sox team that lost the most games in MLB history certainly played a role. Robert Jr. played in just 100 games and batted .224/.278/.379 with 14 home runs and 35 RBIs.
Robert has only played over 100 games once, but if the Pirates believe he can stay healthy and regain his form from 2023, he could be worth the risk and the investment Pittsburgh would be making by parting with three of its better prospects for him.