The San Diego Padres are trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the National League West. They could swing a blockbuster trade to pass both teams.
The Padres could be in the market for an outfielder when the trade deadline gets closer. Left field has been a weak link for the Padres offensively. Jason Heyward was struggling before his injury, and none of the replacement options have been great. FanSided's Chris Landers proposed that the Padres take a chance on Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox.
"To call San Diego's left-field situation right now a mess would, frankly, be an insult to messes," wrote Landers. "If Preller does only one thing at the deadline this year, it has to be finding another viable outfielder to put alongside Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill.
"And the biggest name on the market should be Robert," Landers continued. "That might be confusing, considering that he's hitting below .200 right now. But the power/speed combination remains very, very real, and the fact is that he hasn't been surrounded by a viable big-league lineup in years now. A change of scenery could be exactly what he needs to unlock the five-tool talent we saw back in 2023, when he went 38/20 and garnered down-ballot MVP consideration."
Robert signed a six-year, $50 million deal in 2020 and has $20 million club options for the next two years. The biggest knock on him has been his ability to stay healthy, but that is not an issue this year. He has managed to steal 21 bases this season. The Padres would be banking on the fact that playing on a winning team with other stars around him could get him back in All-Star form.
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Robert is showing signs of life. He is slashing .300/.364/.467 in his last nine games. If he can be close to the player he was in 2023, the Padres would have a great piece for a postseason run.
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