The Orioles are expected to pass on Luis Robert Jr.’s $20 million club option, according to Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. That move would send the outfielder into free agency and leave him with a $2 million buyout.
Robert’s path to this point has been a roller coaster. When he signed his extension with the White Sox in 2020, he hadn’t even debuted in the majors yet.
The deal covered 2025 and included club options for 2026 and 2027, each carrying a $2 million buyout. At the time, those options looked like easy calls.
They made a lot of sense after his 2023 breakout. Robert appeared in 145 games that season, crushed 38 homers, stole 20 bases and hit .264/.315/.542 with a 129 wRC+.
FanGraphs gave him five wins above replacement, and he finished 12th in American League Most Valuable Player voting. That version of Robert looked like a bargain at the price.
But the last two guaranteed seasons told a different story. Injuries cut into his availability, and over the 2024 and 2025 campaigns he played in just 210 total games while posting a .223/.288/.372 line and an 85 wRC+.
Chicago picked up his 2026 option, then sent him to the Mets for Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley. New York was hoping for the 2023 version of Robert, but instead got more of the 2024-25 player.
He missed nearly three months with a lumbar spine disc herniation and hit .223/.303/.399 in 58 games surrounding that injured list stint. A deadline trade never materialized, likely because he had just returned from the IL less than two weeks earlier.
The Mets eventually put him on waivers in August. At that point, Robert still had about $3 million left in salary, plus the $2 million buyout attached to the 2027 option.
Even with the injuries, the uneven production and the money involved, teams were still willing to take a shot at the upside. The Orioles claimed him, and they were not alone.
Reports later said the Padres and Rays also submitted claims, but Baltimore had priority because it held the worse record.
The Orioles were trying to keep their playoff push alive, and they saw Robert as a late opportunity to add talent after the deadline. It didn’t take.
He played in three games before left hamstring discomfort sent him to the IL, where he stayed for the rest of the year. Baltimore finished 79-82, four games out of a playoff spot.
Now the club is poised to move on. They could have kept him for 2027, but the $20 million price tag is steep given how the last three seasons have gone. The likely reason for declining the option is that they couldn’t find a trade partner willing to take it on, which would suggest the market around the league wasn’t there at that number.
Robert remains young enough to draw interest, and the upside is still obvious. Even so, the combination of injuries and underwhelming results has made him a far tougher bet than he was a few years ago.
He figures to be a popular low-cost bounceback target, and he may still be the most intriguing name on the center field market. Teams such as the Astros, Reds, Rays, Royals, Phillies and others could be involved.
In Other News...
Orioles GM Just Sent A Clear Message About Fixing The Young Core
Jared Banner did not wait long to sketch out how he wants the Orioles to operate after taking over as general manager. At his introductory press conference, he put player development front and center, a familiar refrain in Baltimore but one that carries extra weight for a young roster that still needs answers across the infield and beyond. He also made clear that the organizations next step is not simply acquiring talent, but getting more out of the core already in place.
Banner pointed to the importance of raising standards while balancing data-driven decision-making with a more traditional coaching approach, a blend that figures to shape how the Orioles handle their prospects and regulars alike. He also signaled patience when it comes to Gunnar Henderson, saying it is too early to make any firm call on where the shortstops future ultimately leads. For a club trying to sharpen its young core rather than redefine it, the message was less about shortcuts and more about building a system that can sustain growth. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Face A Big Colton Cowser Decision This Offseason
Colton Cowser gave the Orioles plenty to think about in center field this season, and not just because of the bat. His glove stood out all year, with the defensive metrics backing up what the eye test suggested: he handled the position well and gave Baltimore the kind of range and reliability it wants up the middle. For a team that values run prevention as much as the Orioles do, that kind of defense matters.
The bigger question is whether that defense is enough to make him an everyday answer in center, especially after an offense that never settled into a consistent rhythm and pushed him into more of a platoon role. How president of baseball operations Mike Elias and manager Craig Albernaz sort through that will shape one of Baltimores more interesting offseason decisions, because Cowsers future may come down to whether the Orioles believe his overall profile fits a full-time job or a more specialized one. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Helsley's Orioles Return Sets Up A Bullpen Question
Ryan Helsley is set to remain in Baltimore, giving the Orioles another power arm to factor into what could be a much deeper bullpen next season. The club expects Helsley to join Flix Bautista in the late-inning mix, a pairing that, on paper, gives the Orioles a far different look than they had for much of this past year.
The bigger question is how much of Helsley the Orioles can count on after a season interrupted by right elbow inflammation and repeated trips to the injured list. He was limited to 17 games, so while the return is welcome, Baltimore still has to find out whether it is getting a stabilizing bridge piece or simply adding another health-related variable to its relief plans. [Read more 🡒]