The New York Mets have won seven of their past 10 games, but it doesn’t change the fact that the 2026 campaign has been a nightmare for this team. After a busy offseason, the Mets have ended up being arguably the most disappointing squad in the majors, which culminated in the front office conducting a fire sale at the trade deadline.
That has set the stage for a wildly important offseason of work, which is something the front office is already beginning to plan for. One player the team is going to have to make a decision on is former All-Star outfielder Luis Robert Jr., and while there is still a lot of baseball left to be played this season, rumors seem to indicate that his future has already been decided.
Mets Won’t Pick Up Luis Robert Jr.’s $20 Million Option
Robert made a name for himself after spending the first six seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox. A talented all-around outfielder who can hit for power, create havoc on the basepaths, and play solid defense, Robert is a top-tier player when he’s healthy. His best season came in 2023 when he hit .264 with 38 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases.
New York swung a trade with Chicago for Robert over the offseason, but he has been a mess this year. Robert has only suited up for 45 games, and when he’s been on the field, he’s been awful (.216 BA, 6 HR, 17 RBI, .645 OPS). This is just another move that has been a miss for the Mets’ front office, and had the Mets gotten anything of value for Robert at the trade deadline, they almost certainly would have moved on from him.
Instead, Robert is still with the team, and it now has to make a decision on the $20 million team option in his contract for the upcoming 2027 campaign. Robert could conceivably turn things around over the final month-and-a-half of the season, but it doesn’t sound like that will move the needle for New York, as it reportedly is planning on declining his team option.
“The New York Mets made a $20 million blunder taking center fielder Luis Robert off the Chicago White Sox’s hands, but with another $20 million club option coming up, the Mets have learned their lesson,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported. “They won’t be touching this option with Robert playing in just 44 games this season after missing 289 games in his last five years with the White Sox.”
Mets Set to Pull the Plug on Luis Robert Jr. Experiment
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 17: Luis Robert Jr. #88 of the New York Mets at bat against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
In theory, making a deal for Robert over the offseason was a good idea, but like many of the Mets’ other moves, it simply has not panned out. Truthfully, Robert hasn’t come close to replicating his 2023 campaign at any point in the past three years, so parting ways with him makes sense, especially when considering the price of his aforementioned option.
New York is starting from scratch in a sense, and with a younger crop of players leading this group, Robert simply does not fit into its long-term plans. All Robert can do at this point is try to build his value back up for when he inevitably hits the open market this upcoming offseason, as his current numbers wouldn’t exactly earn him a lucrative deal.
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