The Padres Tried to Buy Luis Robert Jr., But the Waiver Wire Said No

A.J. Preller finally found a star player he couldn't acquire, and it took the literal rules of the Major League Baseball waiver wire to stop him.

The Baltimore Orioles officially claimed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the New York Mets. But the real story is that the San Diego Padres tried to crash the party, submitting their own claim after new ownership green-lit the $5 million required to absorb his contract.

"Fans on social media expressed confusion over how the Padres lost the claim despite having a better record than the Orioles."

Unfortunately for San Diego, having a better record means you sit further back in the waiver line. Baltimore had the priority, leaving Padres fans to scream into the social media void about how a team with more wins somehow lost the sweepstakes.

Robert is currently hitting a very human .233 with 10 home runs and a .399 slugging percentage. He is owed roughly $3 million for the rest of the season, plus a $2 million buyout on his 2027 club option.

Paying $5 million for a guy who currently has more caught stealings (three) than actual stolen bases (two) sounds like a massive overpay until you remember the upside. When healthy, Robert is a five-tool monster, though a herniated disc has kept him grounded for a massive chunk of this season.

For the Orioles, this is a high-upside gamble for a team sitting just one game back of the final AL Wild Card spot. Adding a career .285 hitter against left-handed pitching gives their lineup a serious jolt for anyone looking at their October futures odds.

As for the Padres, they will just have to survive without adding another massive name to the payroll. Fresh off dropping a 7-3 game to the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego heads into a weekend series against the New York Yankees with the exact same roster they had yesterday.