Orioles Expected to Decline Robert's $20M Option as Offseason Bills Mount

The Baltimore Orioles are expected to decline their $20 million option on Luis Robert Jr. and instead take the $2 million buyout, as the first wave of offseason business sweeps baseball after the World Series. Robert, inherited from an earlier deal, has battled injuries and declining production, and the Orioles could try to negotiate a more team-friendly deal to keep a right-handed bat who can play center field — but the expectation overnight was that the option will be turned down. The club also holds a $7.5 million option on Ryan Mountcastle and a mutual option on Zach Eflin, while closer Ryan Helsley has already exercised his option and the team must decide on several more before Monday's deadline. That same Monday brings the deadline for $23.15 million qualifying offers, with Trevor Rogers the only Orioles free agent in the running, while Chris Bassitt, Andrew Kittredge and Keegan Akin have already hit the market. With a lockout looming on December 1, teams are under pressure to move quickly, and Baltimore — like every club — must also reinstate players from the 60-day injured list and clear 40-man roster space. The Robert call is the first big one, and it signals a winter in which the Orioles will be careful with every dollar.