The Orioles trimmed their roster and made a move that had been looming for weeks, declining the $20 million option on outfielder Luis Robert Jr.’s contract and paying the $2 million buyout instead. That sends Robert into free agency and leaves Baltimore still shopping for help in the outfield.
The club is looking for a right-handed hitter who can handle center field, but the price tag on Robert was too steep.
Baltimore also saw infielder José Barrero and pitcher Albert Suárez clear waivers and choose free agency rather than accept outright assignments to Triple-A Norfolk. Reliever Colin Selby cleared outright waivers, came off the 60-day injured list, and was assigned to Norfolk after missing the entire 2026 season because of right shoulder inflammation that required surgery. Reliever Codi Heuer cleared waivers and accepted his outright assignment to Norfolk.
With those moves, the 40-man roster sits at 33 players.
Robert played in three games after the Orioles claimed him from the Mets on an Aug. 31 waiver claim. He went 2-for-11 with a double and a home run before a left hamstring injury ended his stint.
Barrero got into two games for Baltimore during the final week of the season and finished 1-for-6 with three strikeouts. He hit 23 home runs in 124 games for Norfolk, but his .202 average and .705 OPS came with 140 strikeouts.
Suárez, who was non-tendered last offseason, returned on a minor league deal and appeared in 28 games for the Orioles, putting up a 3.86 ERA. He was designated for assignment five times and is out of the organization again.
Never count him out.
Heuer was viewed as a non-tender candidate by MLBTradeRumors.com, which projected him to receive $1.1 million in arbitration. Baltimore bought his contract from the Brewers on Aug. 3, though he never pitched for the club.
More roster movement is coming Monday, when players on the 60-day injured list are added to the 40-man roster and teams must make their option decisions. That’s also the deadline for qualifying offers to eligible players.
In Other News...
Orioles Just Turned Luis Robert Jr Into An Offseason Debate
Luis Robert Jr.'s Baltimore stint never really got the chance to get going, and now it has already become an offseason decision point. The Orioles have declined his 2027 team option, another sign of how aggressively they are sorting through their roster after a season in which they also moved on from several other players' options for next year.
Robert was claimed off waivers from the Mets in 2026, but injuries kept him from making much of an impact in Baltimore. He appeared in only three games for the club before ending up on the injured list, and the stop-start season left the Orioles with little choice but to treat his future as part of a broader reset rather than a simple return plan. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Hold A Luis Robert Decision That Could Help Boston
Bostons offseason planning already has a familiar name in the mix, and it comes with a Baltimore wrinkle. Luis Robert Jr., now with the Orioles, is one of the offensive options the Red Sox are weighing as they look ahead to building a club that can contend in 2027, especially if they wind up moving Jarren Duran and need another dynamic outfield bat to consider.
Robert still carries the appeal that made him an All-Star in the first place, with power and speed that can change a lineup in a hurry. The concern, as always, is whether the health questions that have followed him in recent years will keep him from becoming the kind of dependable target Boston would want before committing to a major pursuit. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Risk A Costly Mistake If They Rush More Young Extensions
The Orioles have spent the past 18 months leaning into a familiar small-market strategy, locking up young talent before salaries climb and giving themselves more payroll certainty down the road. It is the kind of approach that can look shrewd when the player develops into a core piece, especially with deals that are often backloaded and designed to keep costs manageable in the short term.
But the same formula can turn expensive fast if the evaluation is off, which is why this stretch matters so much for Baltimore. The club has already made several such commitments, and the broader lesson from around the league is clear: a team can protect its future budget only if it is confident the player in question is truly worth the risk, because one misread can leave a franchise paying for potential that never fully arrives. [Read more 🡒]