When David Stearns and the New York Mets traded for Luis Robert Jr. in January, it was viewed as a low-risk, high-reward type of move.
This was similar to other transactions Stearns has made during his tenure with the Mets, given his strategy of prioritizing developmental projects and bounce-back candidates.
Some examples that come to mind are Luis Severino, Luis Torrens, Reed Garrett, and Sean Manaea.
The front office knew the risks with Robert Jr, as he missed 114 games over the 2024-25 seasons with the White Sox (35% of the season on the IL).
In addition, his production dropped considerably during this span, as his slash line was very underwhelming (.223/.287/.372).
This was a far cry from his breakout 2023 season, as he played 145 games, hit 38 HR, drove in 80 RBI, and became a core piece of the White Sox’s lineup.
Nonetheless, this trade was initially seen as an upgrade over Tyrone Taylor in center field, while giving rookies Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing insurance if they struggled in 2026.
Right now, this trade has been a failure for the New York Mets.
Robert had a solid start to the season, hitting .298/.441/.426 with 2 HR, 8 RBI, 10 runs scored, and an impressive 12:13 BB: K rate.
However, he fell into a deep 5-for-35 slump, which dropped his average to a weak .224 before landing on the injured list with a lumbar spine disc herniation.
He endured several setbacks, which pushed his IL stay to nearly 3 months, before being activated on July 20.
Robert had a rough July (.121 BA, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .497 OPS), which led to buying teams being uninterested in him at the trade deadline.
His performance has been much stronger in August, with a slash line of .290/.303/.484 and 2 HR in 31 at-bats.
Now, the Mets have a choice to make. They can either accept Robert’s $20 million team option, or buy him out for $2 million.
This seems like a really easy decision: Buy him out.
Even if Robert produces and shows flashes of his breakout seasons with the White Sox, there is no reason to keep him on this team, let alone for $20 million.
His injury risk is way too high for a contending team to deal with, as missing 193 games across the last three seasons is far too many.
In addition, the Mets’ outfield is currently set in stone with Juan Soto, A.J. Ewing, and Carson Benge.
There is no reason to clog up the rookies’ development with an outfielder that is more of a wild card than a true building block.
Especially with the looming lockout and potential salary demands for 2027, there is no reason to pay a player $20 million when he clearly isn’t worth that price.
My name is John Pagnotta and I live in Queens, NY. I am a freshman at St. John’s University and I am majoring in journalism. I am a huge fan of the Jets, Mets, Islanders, and Knicks. I started following sports when I was around 7 years old and I have not lost love for it ever since!
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