The White Sox made a huge move on Sunday by signing two-time Nippon Professional Baseball MVP Munetaka Murakami to a two-year deal. This move brings a power hitting lefty to the middle of the White Sox lineup, something they have been missing for quite a while.
However, almost immediately after the signing was announced, there was an interesting tidbit of news that accompanied it. Bob Nightengale came out and said that the White Sox next order of business was to trade centerfielder Luis Robert Jr.
Next up for the Chicago White Sox after the Munetaka Murakami signing:
They still would like to move CF Luis Robert for pitching depth and are engaged in talks with the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 21, 2025
Nightengale specifically mentions both the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets as teams the White Sox are engaged in talks with. This is nothing new, as both teams were rumored to be in on Luis Robert Jr. over the past year or so.
However, this is a curious report, as the White Sox could have a formidable lineup if they chose to keep Robert Jr., as they now have 6-7 guys that have 20+ homerun potential. But, the White Sox have been shopping Robert Jr. for quite a while, so if they were to trade him, it’s not like this is coming out of nowhere.
If the White Sox are going to move Robert Jr., it wouldn’t be for nothing. Despite Robert missing 50+ games last season, he put up much better numbers in the second half of the season. This should help net the White Sox a better haul. While there has been a ton of recent smoke around a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, the Mets make a ton of sense as well, as they have been in talks with them dating back to last year. Let’s take a look at what a potential Luis Robert Jr. trade to the Mets looks like.
During last year’s trade deadline, it seemed like Robert Jr. was destined to be a Met, as there were a ton of rumors that linked the two together. Clearly that did not happen, but it seems the White Sox have renewed interest in some of their players.
Last season it was circulated by Ken Rosenthal and other baseball insiders that the White Sox were very interested in third basemen Mark Vientos and infielder/outfielder Luisangel Acuna.
The #WhiteSox are expected to pick up #WhiteSox CF Luis Robert Jr’s option for $20M if their needs aren’t met at the trade deadline (T10 Prospect), however The #WhiteSox love Mets INF’s Mark Vientos & Luisangel Acuña, via @Ken_Rosenthal pic.twitter.com/tjtcRfeshj
— White Sox Nation (@WhiSoxNationCHI) July 29, 2025
Since the White Sox signed Murakami, I could see them shifting their focus off Vientos and more on outfield and pitching help. Acuna does fit that mold, as he has played plenty of outfield in his career. I could see him being the main piece in the deal, as the White Sox have shown plenty of interest in Acuna in the past.
Acuna would be a nice pickup, as he was a former top-100 prospect and still has less than 250 major league at-bats under his belt. So far in his short MLB career, he has hit .248 with three homeruns, 14 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.
Luisangel Acuña so far in the majors:
.467 AVG
1.400 OPS
2 HR
4 RBIHe has been absolutely elite. pic.twitter.com/R2EIJICqWm
— MetsMuse (@MetsMuse) September 19, 2024
Acuna would likely slot in center, giving the White Sox a speed threat at the top of the lineup. However, I don’t believe that just Acuna would get the deal done, as the Mets would likely need to throw in more.
I would imagine the White Sox would like to try and pry starting pitcher Brandon Sproat away from the Mets, who is their 5th ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Sproat had a very solid MLB debut last season over 20 innings, and has a ton of potential. However, I am not convinced the Mets would trade him, especially if Acuna is in the deal.
Outside of Sproat, the Mets don’t have a ton of young pitching that they would be willing to trade, as most of their top guys are likely untouchable. However, Will Watson, their 11th ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, could intrigue the White Sox, as he had a 2.6 ERA over three levels last season, making it to AA.
If the #Padres and #Mets are engaged in trade talks, an arm who could be a sneaky piece in a deal is Mets' No. 11 prospect Will Watson.
In 2025 at 3 levels:
– 2.60 ERA (3.53 FIP/3.43 xFIP)
– 28.5% K | 11.6% BBWatson would be a late '26 callus should he have a successful year! pic.twitter.com/1peZY7Wqt5
— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) December 13, 2025
Watson and Acuna could be a nice return, but it still feels light for Robert. However, it is still very unclear what Robert Jr.’s trade value is, so that could potentially get it done. The White Sox will likely need to be blown away by an offer for Robert Jr., and with some potential untouchables in the Mets organization, it may be difficult to get a deal done.
