The Orioles have reportedly declined outfielder Luis Robert Jr's 2027 option, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.
The option was for 20 million, and Robert will now enter free agency with a 2 million buyout from the Orioles, as expected, per Francys Romero on Thursday, October 29th.Robert Jr. posted a .221 batting average with 11 home runs, 26 RBI's, and a .707 OPS in 61 games.
Robert began the 2026 season with the New York Mets after being traded to Queens during the 2025-26 offseason from the Chicago White Sox. Robert played in 58 games but dealt with two back and two hamstring injuries, resulting in just 61 games this year; three of those were with the Orioles after they claimed him off waivers on August 31st of, 2026.
Injuries and underperformance have plagued Robert Jr's career. He hasn't played in more than 110 regular-season games since 2023, his best season, when he hit 38 home runs with an .857 OPS and posted 5.3 WAR (wins above replacement) in Chicago with the White Sox. Since then, it's been largely downhill for Robert.
Robert Jr. hit .186 in three games for the Orioles in 2026 (12 at-bats), with 1 home run, 3 RBIs, and a .795 OPS. The Orioles didn't expect to pay the heavy $ 20 million price tag given his underperformance and struggles to stay on the field in 2026 and previous seasons.
Robert Jr bat speed and sprint speed metrics were excellent in 2026, per Baseball Savant. As for everything else, he was mostly well below average. He'll enter his age-30 season in 2027 and will look for another role with a big-league club, making it his fourth big-league organization in six years.
Robert was diagnosed with a low-grade hamstring strain on September 6th, just a week after the Orioles picked him up off waivers. That is why Robert had such a limited playing sample size with Baltimore; with the Mets, he was out from late April to late July (roughly four months) due to a lumbar spine disc herniation-related injury.
When the Mets traded for Robert this offseason, they hoped for a bounce-back after a rough ending in Chicago, but in Queens and Baltimore, neither organization saw that come to fruition.
Plenty of teams could give Robert a deal in 2027, but he might have to settle for a minor league deal, depending on how clubs feel about him at this stage of his career, given the recent history.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Orioles Decline 20 Million Dollar Price Tag on Luis Robert Jr appeared first on HEAVY .
