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Baltimore Orioles Make $5 Million Move to Replace Tyler O’Neill
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- Baltimore Orioles Make $5 Million Move to Replace Tyler O’Neill
(Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)
The Orioles are pulling off a late addition on the one day it could still matter for October.
SNY insider Chelsea Janes reported first that "the Baltimore Orioles are claiming Luis Robert Jr. off waivers, according to multiple people familiar with the situation."
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The move landed on August 31, the deadline for any newly acquired player to be eligible for a team's postseason roster, so the timing was not an accident.
The Mets placed Robert on outright waivers after fading out of playoff position, and rather than let him pass through unclaimed, Baltimore stepped in.
The corresponding roster paperwork had not shown up in the league's official transaction log as of Monday afternoon.
That gap between a reported move and an official one is normal this time of year.
How the Deal Reportedly Came Together
Robert, 29, is hitting .223 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs in 58 games this year, numbers that undersell how much fell apart around him.
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New York got him from the White Sox in a January trade that sent infielder Luisangel Acuña and pitching prospect Truman Pauley back to Chicago.
A lumbar disc herniation put Robert on the injured list in late April and kept him out for close to three months before he returned in July.
He is still owed roughly $3 million of his 2026 salary, plus a $20 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout.
Why Baltimore Needed Outfield Help
The claim makes sense once the Orioles outfield picture comes into focus.
Tyler O'Neill has been out since late August with a shoulder injury, and Baltimore has leaned on a patchwork group to cover for him.
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Colton Cowser has helped fill the gap lately, but a club chasing a wild card spot cannot plan on one hot stretch lasting a month.
Adding a former All-Star with real power gives Baltimore a name it did not have on the roster Sunday.
A roster crunch is coming too, with September call-ups already complicating who sticks around the 40-man mix down the stretch.
What This Means for the Wild Card Race
Baltimore sits at 68-69 , one game behind Cleveland for the final American League wild card spot, which is why a move like this gets made in August instead of winter.
This is not a blockbuster, and Robert has not looked like the player Chicago once built around, but a team a game out of a playoff spot does not have the luxury of only adding proven production.
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I like the swing here.
A hitter who missed three months to a back injury can still turn into a real difference maker once he gets everyday at bats down a stretch that means something.
Robert has shown enough power this year to think a change of scenery could get more out of him than New York ever did, and Baltimore loses almost nothing since it cost a spot on the waiver wire rather than a prospect.
The Orioles open a series at Colorado Monday night before returning home to host Boston on Thursday, and if the move is finalized in time, Robert could be in that outfield mix before the week is out.
