The Mets may have Luis Robert Jr. on the roster, but that does not mean they should treat his $20 million option like a real plan.
After the trade deadline, David Stearns tried to frame the situation around Robert’s potential, the remaining two months of the season, and the club option for next year. His message was clear enough, even if he stopped short of saying it outright: the Mets are keeping an eye on what Robert can still give them.
David Stearns was asked about the Mets keeping Luis Robert Jr.:
"I think with Luis, it's the possiblity of what he can do for us in the second half, the understanding that there is a club option and the excitement of still having him here for the next two months of the season." pic.twitter.com/dfxZTiZ5nI
- SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 3, 2026
That kind of language fits Stearns’ style. He rarely buries a player publicly, and he has a way of making an awkward roster fit sound temporary or manageable. The Mets have heard versions of this before with Luisangel Acuna, Jeff McNeil and Brett Baty, and in Baty’s case, the player actually stayed.
Still, the practical issue remains. The Mets cannot reasonably be looking at a $20 million salary for a player with Robert’s injury history and thinking that is the right use of their money. With the roster structure they already have, the option is too expensive to be the answer.
The only real way Robert makes sense beyond this year is on a new deal.
That is the part that matters. For anyone who wants to shrug and say it is not their money, fair enough.
But the Mets already have Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien on the roster, and they are not in a position to keep gambling on another $20-plus million player. A.J.
Ewing has already passed Robert, and with Carson Benge and Juan Soto in the mix, there is no clean path for Robert to occupy a corner-outfield job, even if the Mets intend to get him some innings there before 2026 ends.
A lower-cost agreement would change the conversation. A new contract in the neighborhood of $10 million would be much easier to justify, especially with the Mets already responsible for a $2 million buyout. That would make the commitment feel more like $12 million, which is a much more sensible number for a player whose health has been such a recurring issue.
The role itself is not hard to imagine. Robert would be a new Tyrone Taylor, with the possibility of becoming more than that if he plays well enough.
Taylor’s strong finish with the Mets could still make him a reunion candidate, but his limitations are obvious. Robert could fill in around the roster, give a left-handed outfielder a day off, or let the Mets slide Soto into the DH spot when needed.
Steve Cohen’s early line about not “spending like drunken sailors” still applies. The Mets spend heavily, but they are not operating as if every available name should be chased without restraint.
Giving Robert time down the stretch might help the Mets evaluate him, but it should not be mistaken for a discount negotiation. The front office should already know what it wants to do, and picking up that $20 million option should not be part of it.
Even if the Mets do not seem interested in handing Nick Morabito the role Cristian Pache currently has, that does not make the option any easier to swallow. The issue is simple: using $8-10 million on Robert next year means less money available for something else, like a relief pitcher.
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