Orioles taking advantage of Mets' waiver decision throws wrench into Guardians' postseason path

Even if the Orioles haven’t felt like a huge factor in the Guardians’ postseason path so far this season, their steady ascension to the fringes of the Wild Card race all but confirmed Baltimore is going to be a part of every Guardians’ fans September scoreboard watching. 

They took a huge step toward growing that postseason profile on Tuesday by acquiring Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on waivers ahead of the deadline to have a player be eligible for a postseason roster. 

Robert may not be the kind of player the White Sox expected him to be when they gave him a six-year deal before he played an inning of big league baseball, he’s still a quality player who is yet another weapon for Orioles manager (and former Guardians bench coach) Craig Albernaz to play around with. 

Luis Robert Jr. is back in the Guardians' way

After spending the first six years of his career with the White Sox, the Mets traded for him in the offseason in the hopes that he’d be the final piece of their championship puzzle. This year has been everything but for the Mets, who entered play on Monday with a 61-76 record. 

Those struggles have carried over to Robert, who has managed to play in just 58 games due to the same kind of injury troubles that impacted him during his time with the White Sox. 

That said, he’s played decently well when he’s been on the diamond to the tune of a .233/.303/.399 with 10 home runs. He’s done okay in center field (+1 Outs Above Average), but he’s not the same kind of dynamic player that he was earlier in his career. 

It seems like that up and down profile wasn’t enough to dissuade the Orioles, who are going to be on the hook for the $2.9 million that Robert will be owed for the rest of the season. 

They’re also going to be on the hook for the decision between his $20 million team option or $2 million buyout for the 2027 season. 

He’s going to slot into an outfield picture that includes Colton Cowser, Dylan Beavers, Christian Franklin and Leody Taveras. He’ll be the best part of that picture. 

While Robert will loom over Cleveland by virtue of how close Baltimore is in the Wild Card standings, the Guardians are going to get a first-hand look at him next week when they travel to Camden Yards for a three-game series that could have a huge impact on the Wild Card standings. 

Even if Robert never became the kind of Guardians killer that White Sox fans purported him to be, he could have a frustrating impact on their postseason path this year.

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