The Mets’ decision to let Luis Robert Jr. go through waivers and wind up with the Orioles might look strange at first glance, but it actually clears out a few problems at once.
Baltimore claimed Robert, according to SNY MLB insider Chelsea Janes, who wrote, "The Baltimore Orioles are claiming Luis Robert Jr. off waivers, according to multiple people familiar with the situation," Janes reports.
For New York, the move trims the bill. The Mets will save $5 million by losing Robert, and they also avoid having to deal with the $20 million club option after the 2026 season. That makes the waiver claim more of a financial relief valve than a setback.
Robert’s production had been uneven, especially relative to that salary. After returning from a long stay on the injured list, he hit .222 with a .737 OPS and eight homers in 34 games. Still, there was a late push from him, and in his final 19 games with the Mets he went deep six times while batting .262 with a .930 OPS.
That kind of stretch is useful, but the Mets are not heading to the playoffs, which changes the calculus. Rather than hold onto him, they opted for a move that creates a little room to breathe and opens a spot for a younger player in the outfield and in the lineup.
The bigger picture is simple: Robert was never going to have his 2027 team option picked up, so this takes that decision off the table, saves money, and gives the Mets a chance to spend the rest of the season figuring out what they can use next year.
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Mets Just Saw Their Luis Robert Decision Take An Awkward Turn
The Mets decision to place Luis Robert Jr. on waivers was always going to invite some attention, but the outcome turned quickly once Baltimore stepped in and claimed him. New York moved him because of the salary still attached, a cost-saving move that made sense on paper, while the Orioles, hanging around the Wild Card race, saw enough value to take the shot. It is the kind of roster shuffle that can make a front office look pragmatic one day and a little exposed the next.
For the Mets, the awkward part is less about the mechanics than the optics. Robert is gone before the waiver process could even settle into a quiet footnote, and the Orioles recent trade deadline activity made it clear they were still willing to keep adjusting their outfield mix. In a stretch where every roster move gets read through the lens of timing and intent, this one leaves New York with an uncomfortable reminder that saving money and losing a player can be two very different kinds of business. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Give An Outfield Prospect Another Chance To Claim A Bigger Role
The Mets latest roster move brought Nick Morabito back into the picture, giving the outfield prospect another shot to carve out a larger role after a brief major league stint earlier this season. Morabito has kept his name in the conversation by performing well at Triple-A, and the organizations belief in him has been clear for a while after he was named the Mets Minor League Player of the Year in 2024.
His return comes in the wake of Luis Robert Jr. being released by New York and then claimed on waivers by the Baltimore Orioles, opening a spot for the Mets to take another look at a player they view as part of the future. For Morabito, the opportunity is simple enough in theory and difficult in practice: keep producing enough to make the Mets think twice before sending him back down again. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Gamble On Luis Robert Jr. Now Looks Much Harder To Defend
The Mets took a swing on Luis Robert Jr. with the expectation that he would be a meaningful part of their lineup, and for a brief stretch it looked like they might have found a difference-maker. Instead, the early burst faded, injuries followed and the move quickly became harder to justify as the production never matched the price or the projection that came with him.
By the time the Mets put Robert on waivers to cut costs, the transaction had already turned into one of those deals that invites an uncomfortable second look. The bigger issue now is not just what Robert did or did not provide, but what the club gave up to get him in the first place, especially with other internal and external options available to fill the same role. [Read more 🡒]