THE APEX TIMES
Baltimore exercised none of the next-year guarantee for the injury-plagued outfielder, opting instead for a $2 million buyout and free-agent status.
The Baltimore Orioles declined Luis Robert Jr.’s 2027 team option worth $20 million, a move that makes the 29-year-old outfielder a free agent after the club pays a $2 million buyout, the team announced October 31.
Robert’s time in Baltimore during the 2026 season was limited, as he appeared in three games for the Orioles before his season ended on the injured list.
According to the Orioles, Robert was placed on the injured list on Sept. 5 with a left hamstring injury, after earlier missing nearly three months in 2026 due to a lumbar spine herniation.
Before the season ended, Robert’s 2026 production with Baltimore was minimal, and the Orioles noted he went 2-for-11 (.182) with one double, one home run, three RBIs and one walk.
The decision follows a sequence of roster actions earlier in 2026, as the Orioles said Robert was claimed from the Mets on Aug. 31 after the Mets placed him on outright waivers on Aug. 29.
Baltimore also still had one other key option decision left heading into the offseason, with the Orioles having a $7.5 million team option for first baseman Ryan Mountcastle for 2027, while the club already declined right-hander Zach Eflin’s $25 million mutual option and other pitcher options cited by the Orioles.
The Orioles’ bullpen outlook includes continuity at the closer role, with the team noting right-hander Ryan Helsley opted into his $14 million player option for 2027 and will return.