The New York Mets placed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on outright waivers Saturday, according to a report by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, opening a 48-hour window for another club to claim him and take on the rest of his guaranteed money.
Robert can keep playing for New York while on waivers, and if no team claims him, he simply stays a Met. Players must join a new club by Sept. 1 to be postseason-eligible, making this a contender’s last real shot to grab the former All-Star for October.
DiComo first reported the Mets’ decision, noting the team had not confirmed it. Placing veterans on waivers late in August has become common around the league. Cincinnati recently did the same with Eugenio Suárez and TJ Friedl, and both cleared unclaimed, per the same report.
Why the Mets Placed Luis Robert Jr. on Waivers
New York is unlikely to exercise Robert’s $20 million club option for 2027, and DiComo reported the remaining money attached to him is modest at roughly $3 million in 2026 salary plus a $2 million buyout, just over $5 million total. The Mets tested the market at the Aug. 3 trade deadline and found no takers, in part because Robert was fresh off a three-month injured-list stint.
The Mets acquired Robert from the Chicago White Sox in a January trade, sending infielder-outfielder Luisangel Acuña and minor-league pitcher Truman Pauley to Chicago with no cash included. He is playing under a six-year, $50 million extension signed with Chicago in January 2020, before his debut, a deal that included $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns explained why he held onto Robert instead of trading him.
“I think with Luis, it’s the possibility of what he can do for us in the second half,” Stearns said, according to SNY’s report on the Mets’ deadline decisions. The waiver move now tests whether another team shares that same belief.
Robert’s Mets Performance, Career and His Path Forward
Robert opened 2026 as the Mets’ everyday center fielder before a lumbar spine disc herniation sent him to the injured list April 30, and New York later moved him to the 60-day IL. He didn’t return until July 20, and his season line sits at .229 with 10 homers, 23 RBIs and a .719 OPS in 56 games. Since the deadline, though, he’s been the Mets’ hottest hitter, batting .311 with a .623 slugging percentage and six homers over a 19-game stretch, capped by a two-homer game in his return to Chicago on Aug. 22.
Born Aug. 3, 1997, in Ciego de Ávila, Cuba, Robert defected and signed with the White Sox as an amateur free agent in 2017. Nicknamed “La Pantera,” the 6-foot-2, 225-pound outfielder debuted in July 2020 and won a Gold Glove as a rookie. His best season came in 2023 with a .264 average, 38 homers, 80 RBIs, 20 steals, an All-Star nod and a Silver Slugger. His career line stands at .257 with 112 homers, 321 RBIs and 104 steals across seven seasons.
Robert’s odds of getting claimed are real but far from certain. He’s only 29, still runs well, plays plus defense and is on a genuine power surge, all working in his favor against such a small salary tag. Working against him are three years of injury trouble, below-average hitting outside this stretch, and a $20 million option most teams won’t want. If he clears, he stays a Met, and New York keeps the choice of declining that option this winter.
Mets Put Free Agent Bust Luis Robert Jr. on Outright Waivers