The Rays quietly made a run at Luis Robert Jr. in late August, joining at least three other clubs that put in claims after the Mets waived him, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Robert ultimately landed with the Orioles, and Kevin Acee of The San Diego-Union Tribune had already reported that San Diego was in the mix too. The fourth team hasn’t been identified, though it had to be a club that sat ahead of Baltimore in the waiver order as of August 31.
Tampa Bay was sitting in a strong position at the time. The Rays owned the best record in the American League and the second-best mark in baseball, trailing only Milwaukee, which left them behind only the Brewers in waiver priority. They didn’t wind up landing Robert, but that wasn’t something they could know when they made the claim.
The move is a small one in the big picture, but it still says something about the willingness of first-year owner Patrick Zalupski and the front office to take a swing. Robert had a little under $3 million left on his salary for the 2026 season, plus a guaranteed $2 million buyout on a $20 million club option. In other words, Tampa Bay was prepared to commit nearly $5 million to bring him in for the stretch run and the playoffs.
Baltimore got him instead, hoping Robert could help fuel a postseason push. That plan has gone sideways.
He went 2-for-11 with a home run in three games before a left hamstring issue landed him on the injured list. His return this season is unclear.
The Orioles could technically place him back on waivers, but he would not be postseason-eligible for another team and would almost certainly clear now.
At the time Baltimore claimed him, the Orioles were just one game out in the AL Wild Card chase. Since then, they’ve gone 2-7 and fallen three games behind the Guardians for the final playoff spot.
Toronto is one game back and Texas is two back, which means Baltimore has three teams to climb over. The schedule doesn’t make it easier: six of their final 15 games come against the Blue Jays.
They need to finish 10-5 just to reach .500 and probably need 11 or 12 wins to get back to October.
Tampa Bay doesn’t have that problem. The Rays are already playoff locks and could become the first team to clinch if they beat Houston tomorrow. They’re also trying to protect a 3.5-game lead over the Yankees in the race for the division and the No. 1 seed in the AL.
Looking ahead, center field could be a spot to watch for the Rays this offseason. Mullins and Robert are both likely to be bought out and hit free agency, and Tampa Bay could be back in that market if it wants to keep Simpson in left.
Jacob Melton, the center field prospect acquired from the Astros in the three-team Brandon Lowe trade, has dealt with an injury-filled season in Triple-A but could still be in the mix next spring. Daulton Varsho and Trent Grisham are also set to reach free agency.
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The interesting part is how closely his new look lines up with the way Tampa Bay has historically attacked hitters. The Rays have long favored changeups in spots where advanced scouting and statistical modeling point them toward same-handed hitters, and Peraltas increased usage gives them another arm capable of following that blueprint. If the early trend holds, it could become one more example of the Rays helping a pitcher unlock a new level simply by asking him to see the game a little differently. [Read more 🡒]