3 early NY Mets minor free signings that will matter most in 2025

While most of the attention this offseason has been on the New York Mets big name free agent signings, the team has made a number of moves to fill out depth via minor free agent signings. While not the most exciting, these players can be crucial to surviving the grueling grind of a 162-game season.

Sometimes, a minor league free agent or split contract player will surprise you. In the best-case scenario, sometimes you can find a diamond in the rough. Other times, a hot spring training can earn an unheralded player a role with the big league club on opening day, and sometimes a minor league free agent can be a crucial fill-in for a couple of weeks while helping navigate big league injuries.

The Mets have been very active adding depth via the signings of minor league free agents this offseason, and these three players stand above the rest as pieces who could play a role on the big league roster in 2025.

1) Edward Oliveras

When the Mets signed outfielder Edward Oliveras to a minor league deal a couple of weeks ago, they added a player who has a chance to be a meaningful contributor in the Majors this season.

As currently constructed, the Mets have a logjam in the outfield. The projected starters are Brandon Nimmo in left, a guy you might have heard of named Juan Soto in right, and one of Tyrone Taylor or Jose Siri in center, with the loser of that centerfield battle serving as the fourth outfielder. On top of that, Starling Marte is also still on the roster taking up a spot as the de facto DH and fifth outfielder.

However, Marte might not be long for the Mets roster, and moving on from him could open up an opportunity for Oliveras. Despite being a guy who just signed a minor league deal while entering his age-29 season, there's a lot to like about the Venezuelan native.

Oliveras is currently playing in the Venezuelan Winter League where he is tearing the cover off the ball. In 21 games he's hit four homers and posted an eye-popping 1.128 OPS. Granted, the competition in the Venezuelan Winter League is not up to par with LIDOM, the more well-known winter league from the Dominican Republic.

Despite that, there are more reasons to get excited about Oliveras. For one, he owns a .302/.380/.505 career line in AAA across 545 plate appearances. As a Major Leaguer, he struggled to the tune of a 73 wRC+ in 196 plate appearances for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, he was productive the previous two years with a 104 wRC+ in 2023 across 385 plate appearances and a 109 wRC+ in 2022 over 174 plate appearances.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have the defensive chops to handle centerfield and is a slightly below-average defender in the corners, however, if the Mets move on from Marte there is a world where he could earn the fifth outfielder role at the conclusion of Spring Training. It's not crazy to envision him as a slightly above-average bat who plays slightly below-average defense, which in totality is still a useful reserve.

In the worst-case scenario, he begins the season in the minors and is the first call-up should an injury strike in the outfield. In either case, that holds real value and would make this signing a big win for the Mets.