The Dodgers’ week has gone sideways fast. After getting swept by the Atlanta Braves, they’re now in danger of dropping a series to the Detroit Tigers, and the offense has been sputtering at the worst possible time as the regular season heads toward its finish.
That slump has Los Angeles waiting on injured players to get back so the lineup can look more like itself again. But another option just popped up, and it comes with a big name: the New York Mets placed Luis Robert Jr. on waivers.
“The Mets have placed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on outright waivers, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. The league’s other 29 teams have 48 hours to claim Robert, who is eligible to continue playing for the Mets during the process,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Connor Byrne wrote.
Robert Jr. brings power and a Silver Slugger award, though staying on the field has been the main issue. For the Dodgers, though, the timing changes the equation.
With only about two months left to ask for health and production, the risk looks easier to justify. Dodgers Nation’s Nelson Espinal argued Los Angeles should jump on it.
“Robert Jr. has the ability to help the depth of the Dodgers and give their two struggling outfielders some competition as well. He comes at a somewhat high cost given his season-long production, but if he can keep hitting the ball as he has recently, he would immediately help the offense. As everyone knows, the Dodgers spare no expense if it can help the team win games, and it is hard to argue Robert Jr. wouldn’t be an upgrade,” Espinal wrote.
Manager Dave Roberts didn’t sugarcoat where things stand after Saturday’s loss. The offense has not been putting it together, and he said as much.
“I don’t know what’s missing,” Roberts said. “I know the work is there.
I know the will is there. I know the talent is there.
But yeah, we just haven’t put it together in quite some time consistently … I gotta think about what I can do to spur this offense.”
That’s a rough soundbite for any club with October closing in, but there’s still time for the Dodgers to sort it out. This kind of stretch happens over a long season, and it doesn’t call for a full-scale panic.
Robert has made $93 million throughout his career, and he could be the kind of late-season addition that changes the tone of the roster. With Los Angeles battling the Braves for a first-round bye, a move like this could matter, especially if the Dodgers are trying to keep their push toward a third straight World Series title on track.
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