Mets' All-Star CF Named Biggest Impending Free Agent

The New York Mets are in the midst of a disappointing season after their offseason plan backfired immensely.

After one of, if not the worst collapses in franchise history last season, the Mets and president of baseball operations David Stearns set out to improve the pitching staff and defense with the focus being run prevention.

The Mets are 19th in Major League Baseball in runs allowed and the defense has been excruciating to watch most of the season while the offense has taken a major hit. All of this culminated in New York shipping out just about every veteran and impending free agent they could at the trade deadline.

However, one player that was expected to be moved wasn’t traded by the Aug. 3 deadline and is a veteran impending free agent. Former All-Star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. stayed put in New York and has continued manning the outfield over the past week.

When Stearns was asked about why the team held onto Robert, he expressed that it was because of the potential impact he could have on the club over the final two months.

“It's the possibility of what he can do for us in the second half,” Stearns said following the deadline. “The understanding that there is a club option [$20 million], and the excitement of still having here him here for the next two months of the season.”

While Robert could play well for the Mets and New York can pick up his club option, there’s no reason that Robert should be on this team right now other than that there was no market of suitors that had enough interest.

New York has Juan Soto locked in left field with rookies A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge occupying the other two spots long-term, making Robert expendable.

MLB.com named Robert the biggest impending free agent on New York’s roster for this upcoming offseason.

“Admittedly, the Mets do have a more significant impending free agent, but given the general disappointment surrounding his first year in New York, Bo Bichette is unlikely to opt out of the $42 million he's owed in 2027,” staff members wrote Sunday.

“He also missed nearly three months of the season due to a herniated disc, recently returning on July 20, and in his 38 games played for the Mets this year, he's hitting .203 with four home runs.”

The investment in Robert was low and so is the return thus far. Robert is slashing .213/.291/.340 (.632 OPS) with five home runs and 16 RBI through 40 games. The potential he flashed with the Chicago White Sox early in his career has yet to appear with New York and the injury history is concerning for any team in the market for a center fielder after this season.