If Steve Cohen isn’t going to pay any of Luis Robert Jr.’s remaining salary, the New York Mets’ prospects of getting a big prospect back are definitely doomed. With less than $10 million of his $20 million remaining, Robert is a rather pricey rental that teams would be taking a bet on.
The Philadelphia Phillies have reportedly expressed interest in Robert, making them a logical candidate, according to The Athletic. Even though they have learned a lot from Derek Hill, they must acknowledge that he may be on a collision course with reality.
They should also give up a highly regarded prospect who performs poorly or a person who performs better than anticipated in exchange for a trade for Robert, which will primarily cost them money. In this hypothetical trade, the Mets will get a multi-talented outfielder who might one day achieve some of Robert’s major league stats. We’ll go with option number two.
Why this trade works for the Mets and Phillies
Given how little they gave up to acquire Robert, the Mets don’t need to feel as though they had to salvage much at all. Luisangel Acuna was scheduled to run for DFA this year. Who is Truman Pauley?
A 23-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder in his second season of A-Ball gets acquired by the Mets in this deal. He should most likely advance to at least High-A as soon as possible because he turns 24 in the middle of August.
Introducing Nathan Humphreys, a .270/.394/.490 hitter who has 12 home runs and 19 stolen bases in 24 attempts. He’s an undrafted free agent who primarily plays center field this season but also makes frequent appearances in left field. You should aim to sign him as soon as you have the chance.
Humphreys is not on many, if any, of the best lists of Phillies prospects. He’s only in his second season as a professional after a lackluster 2025 campaign in which he finished with a.697 OPS. This year, he’s up to.883.
Other than a position player prospect who is already playing well, the Mets don’t really get anything from this. If A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge are the real deal, he might not be included in the team’s future plans. However, this would seem like a pretty good addition given how the season has gone for many Mets prospects.
With qualified at-bats, the.883 OPS would rank third among all players who have played for the Mets this season at any level. Instead of overanalyzing the situation, the Mets should acquire a player who seems to be figuring things out, and the Phillies should sell high on a prospect discovery.
