The only condition that should have the NY Mets considering Luis Robert Jr. in 2027

After the MLB trade deadline, when the New York Mets were left with Luis Robert Jr. on the roster, David Stearns tried to sell us on his team option for next year. The $20 million salary seems extreme for a guy with a tendency to get hurt.

Stearns has been smart enough to never directly throw a player under the bus. He has a calculated way of telling us an ill-fitting player can stick around. We were told Luisangel Acuna could have a role in 2026 and the same thing with Jeff McNeil. Brett Baty received a similar endorsement, defying the theme by actually hanging around.

What’s said isn’t necessarily always true. The Mets can’t possibly believe paying Robert $20 million is reasonable with the structure of their roster. With funds clearly not being unlimited, there’s only one path for Robert to stick around next year.

Luis Robert Jr. is a fit for the Mets if, and only if, it’s on a new contract

For those in the “it’s not our money” camp, you’re right. But also, with Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien already on the roster, are the Mets really going to gamble once more on a $20+ million per year player? It’s savagery and irresponsible. A.J. Ewing has surpassed Robert. Carson Benge and Juan Soto make him unavailable for the corners even if the Mets do plan to give him some innings there before 2026 is over.

How about a fresh, new contract? Something reasonable, even at around a hefty $10 million, wouldn’t be such a bad buy. Considering the Mets will already pay him $2 million as part of his buyout, it would be almost if he’s getting $12 million. This is reasonable for a player with his knack for getting hurt.

As far as the role goes, it’s simple. Robert is your new Tyrone Taylor. Taylor’s exceptional finish to his Mets career probably puts him as a reunion candidate, but we also know where his limitations lie. Robert, on the other hand, could play his way into a more regular role even if it’s something as simple as giving one of the lefty outfielders a day off or allowing the Mets to move Soto to the DH spot for a day.

Steve Cohen’s proclamation from early on in his tenure about not “spending like drunken sailors” has remained true throughout his time as majority owner. The Mets spend big, but it’s not as if they’re going to extreme lengths to seize every free agent they can get.

Giving Robert ample chances in these final weeks won’t necessarily win him or his agent over and give the Mets any sort of discount. The Mets should already have an idea of what they want to do with him. Picking up that option isn’t it.

Considering their lack of interest in giving Nick Morabito the role Cristian Pache currently has, maybe they seriously do believe Robert is worth reinvesting in. That $20 million option, however, isn’t even worth it because as much as they can tell us it won’t affect other moves, that’s $8-10 million used on him they could have otherwise used on a relief pitcher.

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