NEW YORK -- The Mets have placed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on waivers, according to a source, giving other teams a chance to claim him and assume the remainder of his salary. New York has not confirmed the move.
It’s a potential cash-saving move for the Mets, who are unlikely to pick up the $20 million option for 2027 on Robert’s contract. But there are no guarantees a team will claim Robert, who has a little more than $5 million guaranteed on his contract. The breakdown includes around $3 million in remaining 2026 salary, plus a $2 million buyout of next year’s option.
Placing players on outright waivers has become routine this time of year, as non-contenders look to shed cash. The Reds recently executed the maneuver with Eugenio Suárez and TJ Friedl, both of whom went unclaimed.
Though the Mets made Robert available at the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline, he generated little interest. At the time, Robert was fresh off a three-month stint on the injured list due to a lumbar spine herniation. He posted a .347 OPS in his last seven games leading up to the Deadline, all of them with rival scouts in attendance.
But Robert has since caught fire, batting .311/.371/.623 with six home runs over a 19-game stretch entering Saturday’s play. He has also added defensive versatility to his résumé, as the longtime center fielder has regularly played left for the Mets. It remains to be seen if Robert’s renaissance will spark any curiosity that didn’t exist four weeks ago.
Interested teams have 48 hours from the time of waiver placement to claim Robert and assume the remainder of his salary. If no one claims him, Robert will simply remain with the Mets as if nothing happened. He can continue to play for them while on waivers.
The timing is logical because players must be in an organization before Sept. 1 to be eligible for the postseason. So a team that claims Robert now can use him in October.
Robert, 29, came to the Mets in a January trade with the White Sox. He spent six years in Chicago, hitting 38 home runs and stealing 20 bases in his best season in 2023. But Robert has never replicated that success, in large part because of a spate of lower-body injuries.