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Mets acquire Luis Robert Jr. from White Sox
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Photo credit: © Stan Szeto - Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 21, 2026, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 21, 2026, 02:17 EST
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It looks like the New York Mets are out of the running for Cody Bellinger.
On Tuesday evening, the Mets acquired centre field Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox, sending Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley to the American League Central team in return.
Robert Jr. has had back-to-back rough seasons with the White Sox, which isn’t particularly surprising giving the lack of protection. In 2024, he slashed .224/.278/.379 with 14 home runs in 425 plate appearances, along with a 33.2 K%. He wasn’t much better in 2025, slashing .223/.297/.364 with 14 home runs in 431 plate appearances, finishing with a 84 wRC+ in both seasons.
At his best, though, Robert Jr. is a darn good player. In 2023, the centre fielder slashed .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs in 595 plate appearances, giving him a 129 wRC+ and 4.9 fWAR. He won his lone silver slugger and was named as an All-Star that season.
Robert Jr.’s problem has been the last two seasons. Before 2024, he was a strong hitter that hit for a solid average, played strong defence, and could give you 15ish home runs a season. With the Mets, he looks to return to his 2023 self.
By acquiring an outfielder, it stands to reason that the Mets are out of the race for Bellinger, granted there were conflicting reports whether they were even in on him. Obviously, a return to the New York Yankees is a possibility, but it’s unclear which other teams are interested in his services. He wouldn’t be a bad addition for the Toronto Blue Jays, although it’s hard to project what type of season Bellinger has from year-to-year.
Luisangel Acuña is the brother of Ronald Acuña Jr. This is the second trade the infielder has been involved in, as the Texas Rangers traded him to the Mets in exchange for Max Scherzer, something that worked out well for the Rangers. Through his 109 MLB games, Acuña is slashing .248/.299/.341 with three home runs in 233 plate appearances for an 83 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR.
Truman Pauley was drafted in the 12th round of the 2025 draft by the Mets out of Harvard University. In his final collegiate season, he posted a 4.61 ERA and 4.64 FIP in 70.1 innings pitched, starting 12 of the 14 games he appeared in. Pauley appeared in three games with the Mets’ Single-A team, where he gave up an earned run over four and one-third innings.
There are still a handful of outfielders who could be moved this off-season. Brendan Donovan is a good candidate, and his St. Louis Cardinals teammate Lars Nootbaar is a possibility as well. Steven Kwan was linked to the Blue Jays before the last trade deadline, but would seemingly cost quite a bit in prospect capital.
We’ll see if things start to pick up again over the coming days.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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