Why Mets losing Luis Robert Jr. to Orioles via waiver claim is a good thing

The New York Mets were major sellers at the 2026 MLB trade deadline, as their attempt to trade away some of their veterans, like Freddy Peralta, Tyrone Taylor, Clay Holmes, and Luke Weaver.

But one player they didn't wind up trading, despite their best efforts to do so, was outfielder Luis Robert Jr. He wasn't playing great, especially for his $20 million price tag. So, they tried, but failed, to trade him. Instead, they recently placed him on waivers.

According to SNY MLB insider Chelsea Janes, the Baltimore Orioles have claimed Robert, taking him from the Mets in a bit of an unexpected move. But losing Robert is actually a good thing for the Mets.

Why Mets losing Luis Robert Jr. to Orioles is a good thing

"The Baltimore Orioles are claiming Luis Robert Jr. off waivers, according to multiple people familiar with the situation," Janes reports.

By losing Robert to the Orioles, the Mets will save $5 million, and they're also not going to have to worry about the $20 million club option after the 2026 season comes to a close.

So, financially, seeing the Orioles claim Robert off waivers is a good thing for the Mets. Even though the Mets wouldn't have minded keeping Robert, seeing him join the Orioles isn't a bad thing at all.

Since he came back from a lengthy stint on the injured list, Robert was hitting .222 with a .737 OPS and eight homers in 34 games.

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In his last 19 games with the Mets, he hit six homers with a .262 batting average and a .930 OPS. Such production would be nice to keep, but the Mets aren't going to the playoffs.

It made more sense to expose him to waivers, opening the door to some financial freedom, albeit minimal in comparison to the $20 million contract he got this year for most of 2026 from the Mets.

The other positive from losing Robert is that they've now opened a starting spot in the outfield and the lineup for a youngster. This end-of-season stretch for the Mets is all about seeing what they can work with next year.

Robert was never going to have his 2027 team option picked up, so this roster move isn't a bad thing. It saves them money, opens a roster spot, and avoids the offseason question of whether to accept his 2027 club option.

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