If Opening Day were today, the Philadelphia Phillies’ starting outfield would likely consist of Brandon Marsh in left, Justin Crawford in center, and Adolis Garcia in right.
The ceiling with this group could be high if Crawford lives up to his potential as a top prospect and Garcia reverts back to the 2023 All-Star version of himself. There’s also the possibility that the group does meet the expectations the organization hopes they will.
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Even though Dave Dombrowski recently said the outfield “appears set,” the front office should still be exploring options to upgrade in the position group. With that, a trade for Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. could make a ton of sense.
Robert hasn’t performed at the same level over the last two years as he did after his 2020 debut, but at 28 years old, he still has a career .767 OPS.
Aug 13, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a double against the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Even though Robert had an incredibly high strikeout and whiff rate, the advanced metrics and numbers still favor him, signaling that a bounce-back could come quickly after a trade. In 2025, Robert had an average exit velocity of 89.4 mph, a hard-hit percentage of 41.6%, and a bat speed of 75.6 mph, which ranked in the 92nd percentile.
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Many of Robert’s advanced stats point to a player trying to do way too much on a team that has averaged about 50 wins over the last two seasons.
Thankfully, in the Phillies lineup, it would be the opposite for Robert.
Philadelphia already has a star-studded roster, and Robert would simply be a supporting piece to that cast, taking off the pressure that was clearly on him in the last few years.
Even though what gets talked about the most with Robert is his offense, the 28-year-old is also a tremendous defender, which the Phillies would need, especially if Harrison Bader does not re-sign.
In 2025, Robert had a field running value of seven, which ranked in the 87th percentile, and an outs above average of seven, which ranked in the 93rd percentile.
From both offensive and defensive perspectives, Robert would be a tremendous fit for the Phillies. Now, it’s about whether Philadelphia and Chicago would be willing to figure out a fair trade.