The New York Mets acquired center fielder Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the Chicago White Sox late Tuesday, adding a strong defensive presence with a high-upside offensive game as they reshape their roster after a disappointing 2025.
The deal, which will send infielder Luisangel Acuna and right-hander Truman Pauley to the White Sox, capped a day in which the Mets made official their three-year, $126 million contract with free agent infielder Bo Bichette.
With Robert, Bichette, Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien in their lineup and Devin Williams and Luke Weaver in their bullpen, the Mets have overhauled their roster following an 83-79 finish that left them just short of a postseason spot. New York lost first baseman Pete Alonso (Baltimore) and closer Edwin Diaz (Los Angeles Dodgers) in free agency and traded left fielder Brandon Nimmo (Texas) and utility man Jeff McNeil (A’s).
The Mets will inherit the remainder of the 28-year-old Robert’s contract, which will cost $20 million this season and includes a club option for $20 million with a $2 million buyout next year, sources said. The deal will push payroll to around $350 million, and with them exceeding the top threshold of the competitive balance tax, they will pay a 110% penalty on any additional salary added, making the true cost for Robert this season $42 million.
Robert has shown flashes of playing at a level commensurate with that salary. In 2023, he was among the most dynamic players in baseball, hitting 38 home runs and stealing 20 bases. He struggled to hit the past two seasons, though, batting a combined .223/.288/.372 with 28 home runs, 88 RBIs and 56 stolen bases in 856 plate appearances.
Given his age, talent and position, Robert lined up as a strong fit for a Mets team starting to take shape. With stars Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto atop the lineup, they have backfilled with a handful of professional hitters in Bichette, Polanco and Semien, allowing them to take a shot on Robert unleashing his dynamism at Citi Field.
Chicago entered the winter entertaining trades for Robert as it endeavors on its own rebuild and landed the 23-year-old Acuna, the younger brother of Atlanta star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. Although he has spent most of his limited big league time at second base, Acuna has played shortstop, third base and center field as well.
Less than 18 months removed from finishing with the most losses in a single season in baseball history, Chicago suddenly boasts an intriguing group on the infield, with Japanese star Munetaka Murakami signing this winter to play first base, shortstop Colson Montgomery, second baseman Chase Meidroth, third baseman Miguel Vargas and the best pair of young catchers in baseball, Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero.
The White Sox also hold the No. 1 pick in the July draft, widely expected to be UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.
Though Acuna has offered limited power in 233 big league plate appearances, hitting .248/.299/.341 with three home runs, he has thrived in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League this winter with a .939 OPS. Acuna has been even better in the postseason, slashing .373/.450/.765 and posting the first four-home run game in the league’s 80-year history.
Pauley, 22, was a 12th-round pick last year by the Mets out of Harvard, where he struck out 91 and walked 48 in 70⅓ innings as a draft-eligible sophomore. In three starts for the Mets’ Low-A affiliate, he allowed one run and no hits in 4⅓ innings.
