After missing out on Kyle Tucker, the New York Mets made their outfield upgrade on Tuesday, acquiring center fielder Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox for infielder Luisangel Acuna and right-handed pitching prospect Truman Pauley.
Despite not getting Tucker, who agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last week, this is the second major move in days for the Mets. New York agreed to a deal with free-agent infielder Bo Bichette last Friday and announced the signing earlier Tuesday.
In Robert, the Mets get a strong, speedy outfielder who has won a Gold Glove, hit 38 home runs in a season, stole 33 in another, and made an All-Star Game. But the 28-year-old has struggled to put it all together consistently.
His breakout season came in 2023 when he hit the 38 home runs with 80 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in a career-high 145 games played. That was his All-Star season. But last season, the oft-injured Robert was limited to 110 games and slashed just .223/.297/.364, though he did swipe the 33 bases.
In 577 games over six seasons, Robert has hit 102 home runs with 298 RBIs and 102 steals with a .259 average and .767 OPS.
Acuna, 23, hit .234 and stole 16 bases in 95 games last season, his second in the majors. Pauley, 22, was a 12th-round pick in 2025. He started three games with the Mets’ Class-A affiliate in Port St. Lucie, posting a 2.08 ERA over 4 1/3 innings.
