If the Pittsburgh Pirates are finally ready to shop in the “this significantly upgrades our lineup” aisle, they can’t do it the way the Yankees do it. Pittsburgh’s version has to be colder, cleaner, and way more honest, especially if you’re buying the upside of Luis Robert Jr., and you’re pricing in the part where he hasn’t stayed on the field consistently. That’s the deal. And that’s exactly why the Chicago White Sox can’t expect a king’s ransom anymore.
Yes, Robert still has the tools that make front offices drool: center-field defense, legitimate power, and that “if he clicks, it changes your lineup overnight.