Padres Tried to Add All-Star Outfielder in $5 Million Move

The San Diego Padres put in a waiver claim for former All-Star outfielder Luis Robert Jr., who was placed on waivers by the New York Mets.

Although that was the case, the Baltimore Orioles were higher on the list and got him.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune shared the news via X.

Padres put in waiver claim on outfielder Luis Robert Jr., but Orioles were higher on list and got him.

New team owners José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones OK’d additional $5 million it would have taken ($3 mil remaining this season + $2 mil buyout on club option for ‘27).
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) September 1, 2026

The Padres had been linked to Robert in the past. They had been connected to him via trade, specifically before the 2025 MLB trade deadline.

San Diego had emerged as a prominent team to watch and engaged in trade discussions with Robert's former team, the Chicago White Sox. However, the deal never materialized because the White Sox's asking price was too high for the Padres.

Robert now heads to the Orioles after an underwhelming and injury-riddled tenure with the Mets.

The 29-year-old initially spent the first six years of his career with the White Sox. However, after seasons of being on the trade block, Chicago finally pulled the trigger, trading him to the Mets this past January.

Things appeared on the right side up for the Mets and Roberts as he hit a walk-off in his second game as a member of the team. However, that was his biggest and only highlight.

Since then, a herniated disc in his lumbar spine has hampered Robert's play in a big way, sidelining him for nearly three months.

The injury has limited his production and playing time, as he's been held to 58 games in 2026.

In those contests, Robert is hitting .223 with a .702 OPS, 10 home runs, 23 RBIs and 43 hits in 193 at-bats.

Combine Robert's injury with the Mets falling out of the playoff race and looking to shed salary, and it was a no-brainer to put Robert on outright waivers.

The Orioles, who are 1.5 games back of the final wild-card spot in the American League, are in the thick of the postseason race and in need of offensive help. Thus, they took the chance on Robert, who is owed $3 million the rest of this season with a $2 million buyout for 2027.

Padres Outfield Depth Has Become a Major Concern

The Padres would have loved the addition of Robert, as they face notable outfield concerns in the final month of the season

San Diego faces outfield depth concerns, especially after losing Luis Rengifo to a torn ACL. On top of that, Gavin Sheets is on the IL with a left foot sprain.

The Padres have spent most of the second half cycling through various options in left field, which is far from ideal for a team fighting for a spot in the wild-card.

The $5 million flier on Robert — which was approved by new owners José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones — would have eased some of those concerns.

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