Mets just gave Yankees extremely bold platoon option with Luis Robert Jr. decision

The New York Yankees have a Trent Grisham problem, and now, thanks to the crosstown Mets, they may have a Trent Grisham solution. Little Brother has put Luis Robert Jr. on outright waivers, giving the Yankees and any other team a small window to snap him up. Robert Jr. is certainly a name, but in recent years, he hasn't been much of a producer.

If the Yankees were to claim him, it wouldn't be for an everyday role. So to that end, it's worth exploring whether or not his right-handed bat could play alongside Grisham in a platoon role and help mitigate the issues the club is facing with Grisham.

First, though, it's worth defining what's deficient with Grisham beyond just the righty-lefty balance. The most egregious thing that can no longer be ignored is his defense. Grisham ranks dead last among qualified center fielders in outs above average with -6 and third from the bottom in defensive runs saved with -7.

Another issue with Grisham that somewhat relates to his defensive woes is his complete and total lack of footspeed. His 26.8 feet per second average sprint speed ranks in the 34th percentile, and he rarely successfully takes the extra base as a baserunner.

Robert Jr. helps solve these two issues. A former Gold Glove winner, he has posted 1 OAA and 1 DRS in just 382 1/3 innings in center this season. His 28.9 feet per second average sprint speed ranks in the 90th percentile this season, and he has a 33 stolen base campaign on his resume.

Those qualities would help, but the most important thing would be getting some right-left balance into the lineup. Robert Jr.'s history shows that he can help there, too.

Luis Robert Jr. could be a perfect platoon partner for Trent Grisham, and possibly help the Yankees beyond 2026

Robert Jr. hasn't lit the world on fire against southpaws this season, posting just a .731 OPS against them this season. That's a small sample, though. Injuries have limited him throughout 2026, and he's only racked up 61 plate appearances against lefties.

If you look at the entirety of Robert Jr.'s career, though, he's a certified lefty masher. He's slashed .285/.360/.498 against left-handed pitching, proving to be a real weapon even if he has inconsistencies against righties.

In short, he would insulate the Yankees against Grisham's warts. He could serve as a defensive replacement and pinch runner late in games, while getting starts against left-handers.

Claiming him makes sense for those reasons, but there's another one lurking as well. It's become pretty clear that Grisham is on his way out and Spencer Jones takes over center field full time next season.

The lefty-swinging Jones has hit southpaws well in a tiny sample so far this season, but it would be nice to have a right-handed hitting option to support him. It would also be nice to have a veteran he can lean on.

Robert Jr. essentially could audition down the stretch to become those two things for the Yankees in 2027. He's making $20 million this year and has an option for the same amount next season that will not get picked up. He'll make much less on the open market.

The other big issue with Robert Jr. has been his durability. He's only topped 100 games played in a season three times, and only played more than 110 once, recording 145 contests in his breakout 2023 campaign. However, for the vast majority of that time, he's been leaned on as a cornerstone-type piece. Instead, in a specialized role, he might be able to stay healthy since he won't be playing every day.

Bottom line, the Yankees should ignore the cost and claim Robert Jr. to balance out Trent Grisham's issues down the final stretch, while also auditioning him to be Spencer Jones's platoon partner in 2027. The worst-case scenario would be that they waste a few bucks taking on the remainder of his contract, but the flip side of the coin is that they can bring in a dynamic weapon if used correctly.

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