NY Mets News: Josh Reddick is the latest veteran stockpiled on the farm

Jun 11, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Josh Reddick against the Los Angeles Angels at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 11, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Josh Reddick against the Los Angeles Angels at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Mets didn’t just pick Josh Reddick off the scrap heap to help them now or take up a roster spot in Triple-A. The 34-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder is also someone who knows a thing or two about playing big games.

Recently released by the Arizona Diamondbacks amid what could probably be his final big league season, the Mets snatched Reddick up on a minor league deal to add some depth to the organization.

He’ll join New York coming off a .258/.285/.371 performance with the lowly Diamondbacks. As unimpressive as it may be, Reddick does come to the Mets with an immense amount of experience in the postseason.

The Mets have 74 more games of playoff experience on their roster with the Josh Reddick signing

I won’t dive too deeply into Reddick’s playoff performance because that’ll only leave us disappointed. In his 74 games, Reddick received 246 plate appearances. The end result was a .207/.262/.273 slash line. For the now infamous 2017 Houston Astros, he hit a pitiful .040 in the ALCS and .167 in the World Series.

Maybe the trash cans weren’t loud enough in the playoff atmosphere.

Reddick spent most of his career playing for winning ball clubs. Early on, he was a member of the Oakland Athletics before joining the Los Angeles Dodgers for their attempted World Series run in 2016. Following that stint, he was a member of the Astros from 2017-2020. While in Houston, he batted a somewhat deceptive .275/.331/.425. I call it deceptive because he had seasons of hitting .314, .242, .275, and .246. He was unpredictable.

Clearly nearing the end of his career, Reddick joins the Mets with far lower expectations than even what he had in his 54 games with Arizona.

Reddick will join the Syracuse Mets as he awaits a potential call-up. It might not be so easy. Khalil Lee has heated up since his demotion earlier this year. Upon the Reddick signing, he’s hitting .275/.449/.483. Midseason addition Mark Payton has looked good, too. In his handful of games played, he has slashed .348/.448/.413. All three players are left-handed hitters so depending upon what skill the Mets seek or whose bat is the hottest will factor into which of the trio gets promoted first.

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Signing Reddick is only big news because of what he has done in the recent past. Maybe he’ll have one more big league moment to offer and he can do it in blue and orange.