The New York Mets saw Luis Robert Jr. get claimed on waivers.
New York placed the slugger on waivers as the Mets were looking to get out of his contract for the rest of the season. If he was claimed before Sept. 1, he was eligible to be on the playoff roster, and the Baltimore Orioles claimed the slugger.
SNY’s Chelsea James revealed that the Orioles claimed Robert off waivers.
“The Baltimore Orioles are claiming Luis Robert Jr. off waivers, according to multiple people familiar with the situation,” James wrote on X.
Robert is hitting .223 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs. However, he’s a former Silver Slugger Award Winner, as he has shown he can be an impact hitter in the MLB.
Robert is in the final year of his six-year, $50 million deal and has a club option for $20 million next season. New York was unlikely to pick up the option, as it saves them around $5 million.
The Orioles will now have to pay Robert around $3 million in remaining 2026 salary, plus a $2 million buyout of next year’s option.
Mets Hoped Robert Would Solve CF
New York acquired Robert this offseason from the Chicago White Sox to try to solve the center field hole.
The Mets were looking to add some more pop to the lineup, and New York took a flier on Robert.
“We were in contact with the White Sox for a long period of time,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said after acquiring Robert. “We went through a variety of concepts, ideas. That’s kind of the fun thing about trade discussions is just bouncing ideas back and forth. And we finally got to one [Tuesday] that got it over the line for both sides.”
Robert struggled to stay healthy this season, and with New York firmly out of the playoff picture, they placed him on waivers.
New York Right Now
The Mets were hoping to compete for the playoffs this season, yet New York struggled from the get-go.
The Mets are coming off a series loss to the Houston Astros and will kick off a three-game road series against the Tampa Bay Rays beginning on Monday.
Although the Mets have struggled this season, owner Steve Cohen said there are some positives.
“It’s fun to see some of these younger players come up,” Cohen said. “They have worked hard in their careers and started to demonstrate that they are pretty good at what they do, too. It’s fun for the fans. Winning is better than losing. It’s creating a little excitement. And, hopefully, it will carry through the end of the year and it will give us good feelings for next year.”
New York plans to try and win next season, according to Cohen.
The Mets are 61-76 and last in the NL East.