NY Mets rumors: No regrets passing on Luis Robert Jr. trade asking price

During the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline, no player was linked to the New York Mets more than Luis Robert Jr. This should come as no surprise, as these two have been linked for the past few seasons. With the Mets in need of a long-term solution in center field, and Robert in desperate need of a change of scenery, it seemed like a match made in heaven.

However, after being in serious talks with the White Sox, David Stearns pivoted hours before the deadline and acquired Cedric Mullins to fill their hole in centerfield. Although Mullins is a solid outfielder who can make a decent impact on the Mets' lineup, fans were upset they didn't land Robert. But with the recent report about what it cost to land Robert, the Mets and their front office seemed to be vindicated.

What it cost to get Luis Robert Jr doesn't equal his production

According to Jon Heyman, the Mets were unwilling to give up the package it would've taken to land the 27-year-old centerfielder. They wanted two young players for Robert, one of them being either Mark Vientos or Luisangel Acuna, and the other one being either Jacob Reimer or A.J. Ewing. Whether it was Vientos and Ewing or Acuna and Reimer, or some other combination, that's what the Mets would have to give up to land him.

This is a lot to give up for a player like Robert Jr. Yes, there is a ton of upside when it comes to Robert. This is a player who seemed to be on track to be one of the faces of the league. In his first four seasons, he had a slashline of .279/.327/.500 with 74 home runs, 210 RBIs, and a wRC+ of 124. Combine that with his elite defense and speed, and it looked like the White Sox had a special talent.

But the past two seasons have not gone the way Robert or the White Sox had hoped. While his defense and speed have stayed elite, his production at the plate has fallen off. Since the start of 2024, he has slashed .225/.292/.374 with 26 home runs, 81 RBIs, and a wRC+ of 85. Although injuries have played a role in these numbers dropping, it's been going on for so long it's not the only reason for his struggles.

At this point, Robert is a low-risk, high-reward type of player. His value is the lowest it has ever been, so it should have only taken one prospect on the top 30 list and maybe a couple of prospects in Single-A or High-A. Even if it were just one of the four players mentioned earlier, that would've been more than enough to get him based on his production. It could've been seen as a lot, but the upside of Robert would've been worth it.

However, a combination of those four players is just too much to give up for Robert. We all like to think that getting Robert off the historically bad White Sox and putting him in a pennant race is enough to reignite his bat. However, that is just an assumption with nothing to back it up. There is a real possibility that the struggling player we've seen over the past few year and a half is who Robert is now.

Although Robert could've been a game changer for the Mets lineup, the risk of giving up two young promising players for a gamble just wasn't worth it. The Mets made the smart move pivoting off him and moving to a less risky option in Mullins.