With just a few weeks before pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, the MLB stove has been heating up as teams work to fill their roster gaps and prepare for the 2026 season.
That includes Chicago White Sox GM Chris Getz, who traded center fielder Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets, leading to a Jeff Passan bomb hitting the timeline just before the clock struck midnight on the East coast.
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In exchange for Robert, the Mets are sending right-handed pitching prospect Truman Pauley and infielder Luisangel Acuña (brother of Atlanta Braves All-Star and 2023 MVP Ronald Acuña Jr.). New York will also absorb the remainder of Robert’s contract ($20 million in both 2026 and 2027, with a $2 million buyout option).
Acuña is the headliner of this trade, and not only because of his family ties. The 23-year-old has shown to be explosive at the plate, is a skilled speedster, and can provide depth to pretty much any major league lineup with his versatility. Acuña has primarily played at second base, but has also been worked in the outfield a bit, which could be something that Chicago is eyeing for future roster building now that Robert is gone. Acuña has slashed .282/.351/.400 in his minor league career, and was selected as a Dominican Summer League All-Star in 2019 at just 17 years old.
He was called up to the Mets in 2024 for 14 games and made quite a splash in a short period of time: .308/.325/.641 in 39 at-bats to round out a strong .966 OPS. He wasn’t as successful in 95 games (175 at-bats) in 2025, significantly falling off and putting up a low .567 OPS — seeing the biggest drop off in slugging percentage, down to just .274 with zero home runs compared to three in 2024. Acuña is still a very young player, with time to refine his skills as he grows into a major league player. Plus, he has been dominating the Venezuelan Winter League this year:
Pauley is a 22-year-old who spent two years at Harvard University prior to being drafted by the Mets in the 12th round last summer, posting a 5.20 cumulative ERA across 114 1/3 collegiate innings. In his senior season, Pauley posted the second-lowest ERA on the Crimson (4.61), the lowest opponent BA (.171), and the most strikeouts (91, with the next highest a 62, and a 28.9% strikeout rate). One thing that Pauley must work on his is control: He tossed 18 wild pitches last season, hit 16 batters, and walked 48 at a 15.2% walk rate.
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He tossed just 4 1/3 innings in three games with the St. Lucie Mets upon signing last August, reaching a 2.08 ERA in the small sample size, including three strikeouts and four walks. Pauley’s fastball averages around 93 mph and he has a slider that seems to have a lot of potential to miss plenty of bats.
Robert has spent six years with the South Siders, and is the last man standing from the failed core that previous GM Rick Hahn put together for a title run in the 2020s — but we never did get to see that parade, did we.
Luis has been one of the brighter spots of the team over the last several years with his raw power and athletic ability, but he has also struggled with several injuries throughout his time in Chicago. Getz and the Sox have been floating the idea of trading Robert for a couple years — surprisingly not dealing him at the trade deadline during his 2023 All-Star season where he accumulated 5.3 bWAR and .857 OPS while mashing 36 home runs and swiping 20 bases.
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His trade value had gone down quite a bit over the last two seasons, hitting .224 with a .661 OPS, and just an 85 OPS+ in 2025. Despite the regression, he still mashed 14 home runs last year and stole 33 bases, while locking down center field with a .997 fielding percentage and just one error on the season.
The Mets are getting a talented player in Robert, who is most likely to thrive upon leaving Chicago because that’s just how it goes. Luis will be missed on the South Side, but it is officially the end of an era as the White Sox embark on a new journey with the young core they have pulled together.
Thank you for the memories, Luis.
