The New York Mets wanted to add Luis Robert Jr. for more than a year. He was supposed to solve their centerfield woes.
The Chicago White Sox, meanwhile, were one of the worst teams in baseball. It felt like only a matter of when, not if, they’d move on from Robert.
Eventually, in the winter before the 2026 season, the teams found a way to agree to a trade.
It brought Robert to the Mets, where he was supposed to help lead the Mets back to the playoffs.
And it acknowledged in Chicago that their past era was over and that they needed to move forward, even if it meant more time rebuilding.
Well, that worked out differently than planned.
Opposite Outcomes
The Mets didn’t get a playoff berth with Robert.
Instead, they got 193 at bats from him in an injury-plagued season that featured a .702 OPS. Robert hit 10 home runs in 58 games and struck out 53 times.
The Mets didn’t even keep Robert until the end of the season. They traded him to the Baltimore Orioles.
Much like they did with Freddy Peralta, the Mets gave up on Robert before he had even been with them for a year, despite how much they had previously wanted him.
The White Sox, of course, turned everything around. They had lost at least 100 games in three consecutive seasons.
This year, Chicago made the playoffs and advanced to the ALDS before being knocked out by Cleveland in a decisive fifth game.
And for what it’s worth, the Orioles didn’t make the playoff push they were hoping for when they got Robert. He played in just three games with them as injuries hurt him again.
Mets Avoid $20 Million Decision
For much of the season, it looked like the Mets were going to have to make a decision.
Robert’s contract includes a club option for 2027, and it would pay him $20 million if exercised.
He wasn’t really playing well enough for New York to justify that dollar figure, but they had also gone out of their way to acquire him, so it would’ve made some sense to get another year out of him.
Instead, the Mets passed that problem off. It’s a choice the Orioles have to make despite very little information.
It’s obviously not a positive reflection on the Mets that the Robert trade worked out like this, but at least they can breathe a sigh of relief that they don’t have to decide whether to spend $20 million on him for next season.
Mets Avoid $20 Million Luis Robert Decision After White Sox Irony