Playing time for Luis Robert Jr. isn’t as complicated as the NY Mets are pretending

Prior to Saturday’s game, Andy Green announced Luis Robert Jr. could join the club as soon as next week against the Milwaukee Brewers. One of David Stearns’ biggest New York Mets additions of the offseason, he has lived up to the expectations: good, then bad, then hurt for a really long time.

Robert’s return causes one complication. Since going down with an injury, center field has been filled by A.J. Ewing. Green was asked about how Robert and the rest of the outfielders would share time. His answer avoided the obvious fact that Robert could be traded by August 3.

It’s not as complicated as the Mets may want us to think. There’s no reason to play Robert much at all after August 3 if he remains in New York. From July 20-August 2 (they don’t play on August 3), Robert can play often enough to raise his trade value. Afterwards, he becomes a part-time player.

Raising Luis Robert Jr.’s trade value in a two-week span is crucial, but after August 3 he's a bench player

The Mets owe Robert nothing in terms of playing time. He will get $20 million this year with a possible $2 million more if he survives the trade deadline and the team refuses to pick up his option. Why would they? Another $20 million for a guy who has proven he can’t stay healthy at a position that has now been filled by a young riser will have this as one of the team’s most obvious first offseason decisions.

Recent Mets rumors have indicated Steve Cohen has little interest paying more money than he needs to at the trade deadline. Unlike 2023 when he paid the salaries of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander for the remainder of that season and partly the following year, he’s inflexible to doing the same.

It’s very possible the Mets play out the final two months of the season with Robert playing sparingly. Juan Soto could always DH once in a while to give Robert a chance to start. Once a week, Ewing could sit in favor of Robert simply to keep the rookie outfielder from getting overworked. What the Mets shouldn’t do is create a platoon. There’s no reason why Ewing should sit against even the toughest of lefties. Why not, in a lost season, give the kid a chance to prove it?

There will be two weeks where Robert does get into the Mets lineup and we see a little less of Ewing and Carson Benge for the sake of finding a buyer. We’ll get over it. But if nobody nibbles on a Robert trade, his role should become incredibly limited, maybe assuming the Tyrone Taylor role if the Mets are able to move him.

An approach of letting Robert play every-other-day for a week and two days on, one off leading up to the trade deadline is perfectly acceptable and enough to boost his trade deadline. Every team knows what they're getting from him as a player. The real question is how healthy he'll be which is something not even the Mets can answer.

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