Luis Robert Jr. is worth chasing if the Padres save room for a backup plan

Because Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. are so good, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that the San Diego Padres have a gaping hole in their outfield. There's no clear indication of who will play in left for the organization next year, and their in-house options are limited now that Ramón Laureano, Luis Rengifo, and Austin Hays have all reached free agency.

That does leave breakout stars Dustin Harris and Samad Taylor in place (plus speed-and-defense demon Jase Bowen), but it's hard to count on either option carrying over their limited success on a full-time starting basis. At the very least, it'd be nice to bring in competition for the group, preferably in the form of a veteran with some upside.

Thus, I nominate Luis Robert Jr. as a viable target for the Friars. He'd add a level of dynamism to left field that we haven't seen in San Diego in some time, though it's also fair to acknowledge his many health-related shortcomings.

Luis Robert Jr. would be a savvy left field option in San Diego, but only if the price is right

The book on Robert is well-read by this point; he was one of baseball's brightest stars not too long ago, producing a 38-homer, 20-steal campaign in 2023 as a 25-year-old. He won a Silver Slugger for that effort and also has a center field Gold Glove in his trophy cabinet, highlighting the wide range of skills he brings to the table.

The problem is that he just isn't that player anymore. A laundry list of injuries have sapped a lot of juice from his profile -- he's hit just .223/.290/.379 (88 OPS+) over the past three years combined, playing in just 271 out of a possible 486 games. He's still only 29 years old, but Robert looks past his prime.

However, it's possible that, with some better luck in the health department, he can recover a lot of his lost value. It was just one year ago that he stole 33 bases and accrued +7 Outs Above Average in center field; his athleticism isn't in question, and he already began the transition to left field while with the Mets in 2026.

It'll all come down to cost, since the Padres are working with a thin budget and need to rebuild practically their entire rotation. MLB Trade Rumors projects a one-year, $14 million contract for Robert, which seems a little steep considering he's played more than 110 games just once in his career.

If the Friars can get him to accept a pillow contract for a more reasonable price -- perhaps leaving some room to re-sign Hays or Andujar as a backup plan in case Robert goes down with injury again -- there's a lot to like about the fit between both sides.

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