The New York Mets cannot wait to end the La Pantera era.
New York is “desperate” to dump outfielder Luis Robert Jr, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Sunday. Nightengale notes that the Mets assumed Robert’s full $20 million contract from the Chicago White Sox last offseason and would now like to get rid of him.
The righty-hitting Robert, 28, arrived on the Mets in a January trade with the White Sox. Over six total seasons in Chicago, Robert was an All-Star in 2023, won a Silver Slugger Award in 2023 as well, and was a Gold Glove winner in center field in 2020.
But Robert’s Achilles heel has always been his health. He missed 50 or more games in four of the previous five seasons before his arrival in New York and had become known for seemingly inventing new ways to get injured.
Still, the Mets banked on Robert staying healthy when they acquired him … and promptly got burned. This season, Robert has only played in 29 total games after missing nearly three months due to a lumbar spine disk herniation. Robert just returned to the New York lineup several days ago, but now it looks like the team wants to dump him quickly before he inevitably gets hurt again.
The Cuban native Robert is still owed roughly $5.9 million this season and has a $20 million club option for next season as well (with a $2 million buyout). With the Mets looking ahead to the Aug. 3 trade deadline, Robert might be one of several players that they move as part of a dramatic roster overhaul.
