The Baltimore Orioles claimed Cuban outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the New York Mets this Monday, according to sources confirmed to MLB.com. The move aims to strengthen Baltimore's lineup as the regular season approaches its final stretch.
The Mets had placed the player on waivers on Saturday, as they distanced themselves from the postseason race. With the claim, Robert Jr. concludes his only season in Queens and joins a team fighting to stay alive in the American League.
Baltimore entered this game with a record of 68-69, just 1.0 game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the third Wild Card spot in the American League, riding a three-game winning streak and with a record of 7-3 in their last 10 games.
The 29-year-old Cuban had a rocky season with the Mets: at the end of April, he was placed on the injured list due to a lumbar disc herniation and did not return to the field until July 20, after nearly three months out.
In the course of the campaign, he batted .223 with an OPS+ of 96, below average, but August brought back his best version: he averaged .267/.321/.520 with six home runs and 11 RBIs during the month, including four home runs in a stretch of six games.
According to MLB.com, "the Orioles are adding a power bat to their lineup to provide some protection for Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson."
In contractual terms, Baltimore assumes the remaining approximately 3 million dollars of Robert Jr.'s 20 million dollar base salary for this season. Additionally, the team inherits a club option worth 20 million for 2027, with a buyout of two million if they decide not to exercise it.
Robert Jr. joined the Mets in January through a trade with the Chicago White Sox in exchange for infielder Luisángel Acuña and pitcher Truman Pauley. His best season in the Major Leagues was 2023, when he hit 38 home runs with the White Sox and was selected for the All-Star Game.
The Cuban has accumulated at least 10 home runs in each of his seven seasons in MLB —a streak that he extended on August 26 against the Brewers with his tenth home run of the season— and has a total of 112 career home runs in the league.
On August 22, during his return to Chicago, Robert Jr. was booed by the local fans and responded with two home runs against his former teammates from the White Sox in a 10-5 victory for the Mets.
The player is eligible for the postseason as long as he is available before September 1, making his arrival a gamble for Baltimore both for the final stretch of the season and for a potential playoff series.
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