Padres trade rumors keep circling a star-level outfield upgrade

So here we are again: the San Diego Padres are “interested” in a high-ceiling outfielder, and the baseball internet is acting like A.J. Preller just discovered the concept of upside.

Per the latest round of reporting, San Diego is still one of the teams sniffing around White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr., along with clubs like the Mets and Pirates (and others).  And yeah — the phrase that keeps popping up is basically tough sell, which is polite shorthand for: “This only makes sense if Preller gets weird with it.”

Padres keep circling Luis Robert Jr. even if the fit is messy

Because the fit isn’t clean. The Padres’ 2026 outfield picture already has Fernando Tatis Jr. in right, Jackson Merrill in center, and Ramón Laureano penciled in for left. If you add Robert to that, you’re either moving pieces around, leaning hard on the DH spot, or pretending you don’t see the redundancy. 

And talent is the point. Robert is still the kind of player who, at his best, looks like he could accidentally stumble into MVP votes. That’s exactly the kind of swing the Padres have historically talked themselves into, especially when the market’s messy and the risk is baked into the price. 

Robert has recently done a lot of "the risk" part of his job. Robert’s recent production hasn’t matched the reputation. In 2025, he posted a .223/.297/.364 line with an 84 wRC+. His availability as well has been somewhat of a wild card. 

The White Sox also exercised their $20 million option on him for 2026, while also having a team option for 2027, making him a player that the Padres could acquire for some time, but would still be very expensive in terms of dollars when compared to what the Padres typically look for in a piece they need to fill a hole.

So if this rumor keeps circling, here’s the read between the lines: the Padres aren’t chasing a perfect fit. They’re chasing a discounted version of the player Robert can be — and betting that if the White Sox eat cash (or the price in prospects drops), Preller will be the one still on the phone when everyone else gets squeamish.