Orioles Decline Luis Robert Jr.'s $20M Option, Making Him a Free Agent

The Baltimore Orioles have declined their $20 million club option on outfielder Luis Robert Jr., making the 29-year-old a free agent with a $2 million buyout, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, as reported by MLB Trade Rumors on Saturday. Robert signed a contract extension with the Chicago White Sox back in 2020 that ran through 2025, with $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027, each carrying a $2 million buyout. Chicago picked up his 2026 option but then traded him to the New York Mets for Luisangel Acuna and Truman Pauley. He was later placed on waivers in August, with around $3 million in salary still to be paid plus the buyout on the 2027 option, and Baltimore claimed him ahead of the Padres and Rays by virtue of having the worse record at the time. The decision, confirmed on October 31, ends a brief Orioles stint and sends one of the game's most talented but injury-hit outfielders back onto the open market at a time when clubs are sorting their winter plans. Robert's raw tools have never been in doubt, but his availability has repeatedly interrupted his seasons, and his next contract will likely reflect both the upside and the risk. For Baltimore, the move frees $20 million in payroll space as the club reshapes its roster for 2027.