Royals, Orioles, Angels Make Option Decisions

The Orioles declined Luis Robert Jr.’s $20 million option, paying a $2 million buyout and making the injury-plagued outfielder a free agent after he appeared in three games for Baltimore. The Angels declined reliever Robert Stephenson’s $2.5 million option, ending his three-year stint with the team; injuries limited him to 10 innings, and he is expected to miss time into 2027 after another Tommy John surgery. The Royals exercised Tony Gonsolin’s $2.5 million club option for 2027, retaining him as a rotation candidate while he recovers from Tommy John surgery; he made one late-season start for Kansas City, allowing five earned runs in 2⅔ innings. Kansas City declined Carlos Estévez’s $13 million option, paid a $2 million buyout and made him a free agent; he appeared once in 2026, giving up six runs before injuries and shoulder surgery ended his season, after recording 42 saves in 2025.