The Orioles announced that outfielder Will Robertson has been designated for assignment. The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for Zach Eflin, whose one-year, $10MM deal to return to the O’s is now official.
Robertson has been on Baltimore’s roster for less than a month, after the club claimed him off the Pirates’ waiver wire a few weeks back. This transaction came after Robertson went from the White Sox to Pittsburgh on another waiver claim in October, and after the Sox acquired Robertson from the Blue Jays in a July deal for cash considerations. Prior to this flurry of moves, Robertson had spent his entire career in Toronto’s organization, since his selection in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.
This stint with the Jays culminated in Robertson making his MLB debut in a Toronto uniform, as Robertson got into three games with the Blue Jays in June. The trade to the rebuilding White Sox naturally created a bit more opportunity for playing time, and Robertson appeared in 24 more games during his time in Chicago. Unfortunately for Robertson, his first 75 trips to the plate against big league pitching resulted in only a .129/.173/.143 slash line, and one extra-base hit.
Robertson (who just turned 28 two days ago) had some decent but unspectacular numbers in the minors in 2023 and 2024, but he put himself on the radar for a big league promotion with a big Triple-A performance this year. Over 354 combined plate appearances with the top affiliates of the Blue Jays and White Sox, Robertson hit .289/.387/.571 with 20 homers and 21 doubles. He also produced a career-best 13.6% walk rate and cut back on the strikeouts, as contact issues have been an issue for Robertson earlier in his career.
While he is best suited for corner-outfield work, Robertson does have some experience in center field, adding to his value as a depth piece. He has two minor league options remaining, adding to his appeal for any teams interested in making another waiver claim. Robertson has never been outrighted off a 40-man roster, so he’d have to accept an outright assignment to Baltimore’s Triple-A team if he clears waivers.