Padres calling White Sox's bluff over $50 million outfielder's trade demands

The San Diego Padres are one of the top teams ahead of the MLB trade deadline, looking to add an outfielder. With a dire need in left field, the Padres are scouring the market for potential options.

One option is Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. The $50 million slugger has a lot of interest around the league, including from the Padres. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the White Sox are holding out for a top prospect in return for Robert.

"The Chicago White Sox believe they would look ridiculous accepting a mid-tier prospect for a player as talented as center fielder Luis Robert Jr," Rosenthal writes. "The prospective suitors, which include the Padres, Phillies, and New York Mets, evidently believe the White Sox are bluffing."

While the White Sox are saying they're looking to land a top-ten prospect, the teams interested in Robert aren't buying it. At the beginning of July, there were thoughts that the White Sox might not move Robert, as he was struggling so much.

Through June, across his 73 games, Robert had a .185 batting average and a .584 OPS. But in his 13 July games, Robert has a .318 average with a .957 OPS, significantly better than what he's shown all season long.

MORE: Padres named among most desperate teams at MLB trade deadline

The Padres, along with the other teams interested in Robert, aren't willing to send a top prospect for him, considering his struggles for the majority of the season. Robert's recent production has turned his season totals around, but he's still overall below average this season.

He has an 82 OPS+, meaning he's 18 percent worse than the league average hitter this season. But, with his July being so strong, the White Sox are using those numbers to target a stronger return.

While he's likely to fetch a better return than he did earlier in the year, teams like the Padres won't spend a top ten prospect on the $50 million slugger. Chicago will play hardball, but the teams interested in Robert are likely to win out.

If the White Sox let Robert walk, or if they pick up his $20 million option, there's a lot of risk and little reward for doing so. As Rosenthal puts it, "The best guess is that in the end, they take what they can get."

The Padres are calling the White Sox's bluff and won't spend a top asset to land the polarizing All-Star outfielder. 

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