The Baltimore Orioles claimed Cuban outfielder Luis Robert Jr. from the waiver list of the New York Mets this Monday, as confirmed by sources to MLB.com. This move aims to strengthen Baltimore's lineup as the regular season draws to a close.
The Mets had placed the player on the waivers list on Saturday, having already fallen out of the postseason race. With the claim, Robert Jr. concludes his only season in Queens and joins a team fighting for survival in the American League.
Baltimore came into 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 a 7-3 mark in their last 10 games.
The 29-year-old Cuban had a tumultuous season with the Mets: at the end of April, he was placed on the disabled 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 span 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 approximately three million dollars remaining of Robert Jr.'s 20 million dollar base salary for this season. Additionally, the team inherits a 20 million dollar club option for 2027, with a two million dollar buyout if they choose 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 Major League Baseball was 2023, when he hit 38 home runs with the White Sox and was selected for the All-Star Game.
The Cuban has hit at least 10 home runs in each of his seven seasons in MLB—an achievement he extended on August 26 against the Brewers with his tenth home run of the season—and totals 112 career home runs in the league.
On August 22, upon returning to Chicago, Robert Jr. was met with boos from 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 since he is available before September 1, which makes his arrival a gamble for Baltimore both for the final stretch of the season and for a potential playoff series.
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