The Mets have placed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on outright waivers, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. Teams will have 48 hours to place a claim on Robert, and he will remain with the Mets if he goes unclaimed. The Mets aren’t the first team to place a player on waivers in the last week – the Reds placed TJ Friedl and Eugenio Suárez on waivers, but neither player was claimed. Teams don’t get anything in return if a player gets claimed.
Robert came over to the Mets in a trade with the White Sox in January, and it hasn’t been smooth sailing for him this year. He struggled in April, then went on the injured list with a lumbar spine disc herniation, which caused him to miss close to three months. Overall, he is batting .228/.308/.407 with 10 homers in 214 plate appearances. However, he has been much better in recent weeks, batting .282/.338/.549 with six homers in 80 plate appearances. Once considered an elite defender, Robert has merely been average this year, posting 1 OAA in center field and -1 OAA in his brief time in left field. He still boasts elite bat speed (77 mph) and foot speed (28.9 ft/s), though he has only swiped two bases in five attempts this season.
Robert has a $20 million club option for the 2027 season. Robert’s playing time has already diminished since his return from the injured list, and with the emergence of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, it’s unclear if Robert would have a role on the Mets going forward.
