MLB insider links Guardians to in-division trade Cleveland fans will absolutely hate

The Cleveland Guardians are no stranger to the Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. 

For the past four-and-a-half years, they’ve shared a division with Robert, where they’ve been able to see him at his best, worst and everywhere in between. 

But, according to a report from one prominent MLB insider, there’s a chance the Guardians could see him everyday.

MLB insider links Guardians to in-division trade Cleveland fans will absolutely hate

Earlier this week, The Athletic's Jim Bowden put out a story (subscription required) highlighting one difference-making trade for each AL team in the wild-card race, where he had the Guardians acquiring Robert in a trade with the White Sox in exchange for minor leaguers OF Jaison Chourio and 1B Ralphy Velazquez. 

It’s quite a proposal. While we already highlighted Robert as a potential trade target for the Guardians, it means a bit more to see that connection come from a national insider who still has connections inside different team’s front offices. 

In 2023, Robert became a first-time All-Star when he slashed .262/.315/.542 with 38 home runs, 80 RBI and 20 steals. It’s all been downhill since then. After only hitting .224 last year, he’s fallen off a cliff this year and is hitting .185 with eight homers. 

He’s still stolen 22 bases and is playing solid defense in center field, but his lack of production likely sets off alarm bells in front offices across the country. 

But it’s also worth noting that he’s been a Guardians killer throughout his career. Along with having a .296 batting average in 49 games against Cleveland (the most he’s played against one opponent), he holds a .327 batting average in 26 career games at Progressive Field. 

It hasn’t all been roses at the corner of Carnagie and Ontario for him, however. In April 2022 he suffered a groin strain in Chicago’s series in Cleveland that caused him to miss a week (injuries have been a recurring part of his career) and he raised some eyebrows last year when he didn’t throw home on a walk-off sacrifice fly from Bo Naylor.

Bowden’s hypothetical return for Robert makes sense considering the Guardians would likely have to pay more in their return since it would be an inter-division trade. 

Jaison Chourio, the younger brother of Brewers phenom Jackson Chourio, is currently hitting .168 at High-A but is the Guardians’ No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline. Velazquez, the Guardians’ first round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, is also at High-A, where he’s hitting .200 with 10 home runs. 

While there probably is a chance the Guardians would offer Chourio and Velazquez in some potential deals, trading them in the division could get dicey, since you won’t be able to escape them if they end up turning into franchise cornerstones.

Although Robert still has two years of team control left after this year through two $20 million team options, the overpay wouldn’t be worth it — no matter how much the Guardians need outfield help.